According to a UNDP report published on November 7, 2024, Rakhine is on the verge of an unprecedented humanitarian and economic catastrophe driven by severe restrictions on trade, hyperinflation, and collapsing food production. Based on data collected in 2023 and 2024 through direct assessments, stakeholder interviews, and surveys, the report reveals that Rakhine's economy has nearly stopped, with critical sectors like agriculture, trade, and construction paralyzed. Blockades have cut off access to markets, decimating export-oriented livelihoods, while the construction sector—a significant source of employment—has collapsed due to halted cement imports and soaring prices. Compounding these crises is domestic food production, which is projected to meet only 20% of the population's needs by early 2025, as severe weather, shortages of seeds and fertilizers, and mass displacement devastate farming. With trade at a standstill and social safety nets virtually nonexistent, over 2 million people face the imminent threat of famine in the coming months.
To avert a catastrophic loss of life, humanitarian aid agencies must urgently establish cross-border assistance channels while pressuring the Myanmar junta to lift its blockade on aid. Given the junta's systematic obstruction of travel authorizations for aid workers, a human rights organization has been strongly advocating for international actors to negotiate immediate access through alternative routes, including a Bangladesh-Myanmar humanitarian corridor. The organization further stipulates that with over 519,000 displaced and two million facing starvation, agencies must prioritize emergency food aid, medical supplies, and agricultural support while advocating for the restoration of U.S. and global funding slashed in 2025. Testimonies from displaced communities reveal that junta restrictions have already caused preventable
deaths, including from treatable illnesses like acute diarrhea, underscoring the need for unhindered medical access. The organization, in its report on March 12, also advocated that the UN and donor states should leverage the Secretary-General's visit to Bangladesh to secure guarantees for unimpeded aid delivery, ensuring that lifesaving assistance reaches not only Rohingya refugees but also trapped ethnic Rakhine, Kaman, and other vulnerable groups. Without swift intervention, the junta's stranglehold on supply routes and the collapse of local agriculture will push Rakhine into full-scale famine by mid-2025.
The UN Secretary-General’s March Visit and Bangladesh’s Initial Response
Establishing a humanitarian corridor emerged as a central focus during UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' March visit to Bangladesh, with Dhaka expressing its willingness in principle to facilitate UN-led aid deliveries to Rakhine State. During discussions in Dhaka, Guterres emphasized the urgent need to channel assistance through Bangladesh as the most viable route, given Myanmar's blockade of internal aid distribution. Bangladesh's Rohingya adviser, Khalilur Rahman, confirmed the government's readiness to provide logistical support for such operations, stating it could help stabilize Rakhine and create conditions for refugee repatriation. However, officials stressed that the proposal remains at a consultation stage, requiring consensus among stakeholders and formal agreements between governments. While Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam clarified that no final decisions had been made, he reiterated Bangladesh's humanitarian commitment, citing the country's history of assisting neighbors in crisis. The government maintains that UN-supported aid through Bangladesh could prevent further refugee inflows while alleviating Rakhine's suffering, though implementation would depend on Myanmar's cooperation and broader diplomatic coordination.
The proposed humanitarian corridor emerged as a key agenda item during UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' March visit to Bangladesh, with the government's position being articulated through both traditional and digital channels in what has become a telling feature of contemporary governance. While Rohingya adviser Khalilur Rahman said that Bangladesh would provide logistic support for UN-led aid to Rakhine—believing it would "help stabilize Rakhine and create conditions for refugee returns"—the official stance was simultaneously being broadcast through Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam's Facebook post. This dual-track communication exemplifies how the theatrics of modern statecraft have evolved, where prominent policy positions are now routinely announced through social media platforms. This practice has regrettably become normalized after confident world leaders demonstrated how 280 characters could circumvent decades of diplomatic protocol. Alam confirmed Bangladesh's conditional willingness to facilitate aid deliveries in his verified post. He framed the corridor as a humanitarian and strategic necessity, citing UNDP warnings about Rakhine's crisis while emphasizing ongoing consultations. The social media statement notably echoed Khalilur's arguments about stabilizing Rakhine for repatriation while adding new dimensions: highlighting Bangladesh's history of regional assistance and expressing concerns about potential new refugee inflows. The post's carefully curated messaging—echoing Khalilur's arguments about stabilization while adding concerns about refugee flows—reveals how governments now perform diplomacy through multiple channels simultaneously, where a Facebook update carries equal weight to official briefings, and where the line between statecraft and digital posturing has become dangerously blurred. However, the cynicism of new geopolitical and statecraft practices has caused enough digression from the main issue, which we should get back to.
Escalating Humanitarian Crisis and Dhaka’s Policy Shift
The humanitarian corridor proposal has gained urgency following alarming UN warnings of impending famine in Rakhine State, with Bangladesh's conditional agreement marking a significant—yet potentially risky—policy shift. According to government sources from leading media outlets, Dhaka's principled approval came directly after UN Secretary-General António Guterres' March visit, as the world body intensified pressure to address Rakhine's collapsed economy and looming starvation. While Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain confirmed Bangladesh's willingness to cooperate "under UN supervision" pending unspecified conditions, security analysts warn the initiative carries dangerous contradictions.
Myanmar's junta continues blockades to weaken the Arakan Army, raising fears that aid convoys could be commandeered as military assets or become conduits for weapons and drugs. The absence of recognized governance in Rakhine further complicates matters, potentially forcing Bangladesh into de facto negotiations with non-state actors. Experts stress that without binding agreements from all conflict parties—and alternative routes through Myanmar's other neighbors—the corridor risks becoming both a humanitarian bandage and a security liability, especially given the UN's assessment that unchecked famine could trigger new mass displacements into Bangladesh. As domestic political criticism grows over insufficient consultations, the government faces the delicate task of balancing international humanitarian obligations against real threats to regional stability.
The Double-Edged Nature of Humanitarian Corridors
The concept of a humanitarian corridor, officially defined by the UN as a temporary route for delivering aid to crisis zones, has become one of the most geopolitically contentious instruments in modern conflict resolution. While framed as neutral channels for life-saving assistance, historical precedents reveal how these corridors often serve as Trojan horses for foreign intervention and intelligence operations. The Syrian conflict demonstrated this duality with devastating clarity—what began as UN-sanctioned aid routes through Turkey and Jordan quickly transformed into supply lines for armed groups, with humanitarian staging areas evolving into rebel training camps that fueled the rise of ISIS and al-Nusra. Similarly, Iraq's no-fly zones in the 1990s, ostensibly established to protect civilians, became forward operating bases for the eventual 2003 invasion, while Libya's UN-backed "protection corridor" in 2011 served as NATO's entry point for regime change operations. Even currently active corridors like Gaza's Rafah crossing, though vital for Palestinian survival, have documented cases of being exploited for intelligence gathering by hostile actors. The pattern repeats in Afghanistan, where CIA operations reportedly infiltrated aid distribution networks to conduct drone strikes. These cases expose the inherent paradox of humanitarian corridors—their accessibility, which aid agencies require, also creates vulnerabilities that geopolitical actors inevitably exploit. When a corridor opens, it rarely remains purely humanitarian; the same routes transporting food and medicine become vectors for weapons, foreign operatives, and destabilizing influences that often outlast the original crisis. This dangerous duality now confronts Bangladesh as it navigates the proposed Chittagong-Arakan route, where legitimate humanitarian imperatives collide with the hard lessons of history that corridors, once established, develop their irreversible geopolitical momentum.
Weaponization of Aid: A Global Pattern Repeating in Myanmar
Humanitarian aid, conceived as a neutral lifeline for the vulnerable, has increasingly become a weaponized instrument of geopolitical warfare—a pattern visible across every major crisis zone of our era. The mechanisms are disturbingly consistent: aid corridors that morph into intelligence-gathering operations, food shipments leveraged as bargaining chips, and funding streams abruptly severed to punish disfavored populations. In Syria, "humanitarian" routes became supply lines for armed groups; in Afghanistan, CIA operatives infiltrated relief networks to conduct drone strikes. The current withholding of UNRWA funding over allegations against a handful of staff, while grave abuses in other UN agencies prompted no such sanctions, exemplifies this selective morality. Donor nations routinely employ aid as both carrot and stick: the EU channels migration assistance to deter refugee flows, the US ties disaster relief to political concessions, and Gulf states manipulate famine responses to advance regional rivalries. Even the architecture of international aid reinforces this politicization, with 96% of UN refugee budgets dependent on earmarked contributions, wealthy states dictate which victims deserve survival. The consequences are catastrophic: in Yemen, blocked aid exacerbates cholera outbreaks; in Myanmar, rice becomes a weapon of ethnic cleansing; in Gaza, defunded hospitals become mass graves. This systemic corruption of humanitarian principles creates a world where the starving must first pass ideological purity tests, where mercy follows not need, but the cold calculus of strategic interest.
The structural politicization of humanitarian aid is most starkly revealed in donor states' strategic manipulation of funding mechanisms, as evidenced by the Yemen case study and broader patterns of aid weaponization. The UN's heavy reliance on earmarked contributions, where 96% of refugee budgets are tied to donor stipulations, creates a system where aid flows reflect geopolitical priorities rather than humanitarian need. In Yemen, this manifested catastrophically when Saudi Arabia and the UAE, key belligerents in the conflict, became the largest donors to UN relief efforts while simultaneously enforcing blockades that exacerbated famine. As the Elayah study documents, their $500 million pledges coincided with restrictions that made ports "black holes for aid," demonstrating how donors exploit the humanitarian system to wage war by other means. Similarly, the abrupt U.S. defunding of UNRWA over allegations against 12 staffers illustrates the selective morality applied to Palestinian aid, where political objectives override the principle of impartiality.
This donor hegemony extends beyond active conflicts. The EU's migration assistance to Libya and Turkey functions as a "carrot" to externalize border control, just as Gulf states' famine relief in Yemen serves as a "stick" to weaken Houthi-held territories. The Yemeni research reveals how such conditional aid fuels war economies: 80-90% of supplies were diverted by armed groups registering fake beneficiaries. At the same time, internationally funded NGOs became fronts for military factions like the Southern Transitional Council. This creates a perverse market where aid sustains the conflicts it claims to alleviate, likely termed "humanitarianism as war by budgetary means." The system's structural flaws ensure that even well-intentioned agencies become complicit; when 74% of UNRWA's budget depends on voluntary contributions, its operations inevitably bend to donor geopolitics rather than refugee needs.
The consequences are measured in lives. In Yemen, only 10-20% of aid reached intended recipients as warring factions weaponized starvation, while in Palestine, defunded hospitals became mass graves. This is not inefficiency but design—a global aid architecture where, as both studies conclude, survival assistance follows the calculus of strategic interest rather than the imperatives of humanity. Until the system reckons with this fundamental contradiction, humanitarianism will remain what it has become: a moral language spoken by power to justify its arithmetic of suffering.
The BURMA Act and Its Regional Consequences
The US Burma Act – A Double-Edged Sword for Bangladesh and a Strategic Pivot in the Rakhine Equation. The passage of the US Burma Unified through Rigorous Military Accountability (BURMA) Act marks a decisive shift in Washington's approach to the crisis in Myanmar. Passed by Congress in December 2022 and signed into law, remains active and has not been abolished by Trump. The act is designed to isolate the Tatmadaw — Myanmar's military regime — and support the country's fragmented but determined pro-democracy forces, including the National Unity Government (NUG) and a coalition of ethnic armed organisations (EAOs). While the act is a bold step toward supporting democracy and addressing human rights atrocities, particularly against the Rohingya, it also carries complex geopolitical consequences, particularly for neighboring Bangladesh.
At the heart of the BURMA Act lies a promise of non-lethal support — a term which, when liberally interpreted, could be used to justify broader military aid to the EAOs. Noted security experts in Bangladesh opine that this could have unintended and dangerous consequences for the region, particularly for Bangladesh's southeastern border. The concern arises from the historical and ongoing ties between some of Myanmar's ethnic armed factions and separatist groups operating within Bangladesh's borders. A militarily strengthened EAO network, even if aimed at the Tatmadaw, could indirectly empower or embolden cross-border insurgencies.
The implications are not merely speculative. Bangladesh, which shares a 271-kilometre border with Myanmar, is already burdened with over one million Rohingya refugees, many of whom were forced to flee from the Rakhine State after brutal military crackdowns since 2017. These refugee camps have become breeding grounds for illicit activities — drug and arms smuggling, and reportedly, recruitment by extremist outfits. With the frequent spillover of armed conflict from across the border, including stray mortar shells, Bangladesh's fragile border security is under continuous pressure.
Yet, Bangladesh also stands to gain significantly from the successful implementation of the BURMA Act — if it leads to the restoration of democracy in Myanmar and a peaceful, dignified repatriation of the Rohingya community. The NUG's recognition of the Rohingya as an official ethnic group and its stated commitment to full repatriation mark a significant departure from the previous governments' xenophobic stances. If the EAOs and the NUG succeed in dislodging the military junta, Bangladesh could find a long-awaited resolution to the Rohingya crisis.
However, this hopeful scenario is shadowed by broader geopolitical realignments. China and Russia — steadfast allies of the Myanmar junta — have already begun counter maneuvers. China, in particular, has reached out to seven ethnic armed groups along its border with Myanmar, signaling an intent to undermine US influence and maintain regional control. China's assistance in health and education for displaced civilians also hints at soft-power strategies to reinforce loyalty among the EAOs.
The regional chessboard becomes even more intricate when considering India and Thailand. India's growing closeness with Russia and China, particularly through initiatives like the New Development Bank, makes its full cooperation with the US on the BURMA Act unlikely. Thailand, initially reluctant, has recently shown political will to facilitate humanitarian corridors and regional diplomacy under ASEAN's five-point consensus. With Thailand stepping into a more active role, Bangladesh's centrality in the BURMA Act's operational strategy appears to be waning, at least diplomatically.
Nevertheless, Bangladesh remains strategically irreplaceable, especially regarding the Rakhine State. This coastal region is a geopolitical hotspot, rich in hydrocarbons and central to China's Belt and Road Initiative and India's connectivity projects to its northeastern states. Control over or access to Rakhine is pivotal for all regional players, and Bangladesh's proximity, demographic burden, and historical engagement give it a decisive voice in this area.
Despite the potential of Thailand taking a lead role in facilitating the BURMA Act, Bangladesh's geographic position, intelligence capabilities, and diplomatic experience with the Rohingya issue cannot be discounted. The effectiveness of any US-backed transition in Myanmar, particularly in Rakhine, will depend on Dhaka's cooperation or, at the very least, its neutral stance. Moreover, any drastic shift in regional dynamics — such as a US military foothold in Myanmar — could push Bangladesh further into the strategic orbits of China, India, or Russia, with consequences reverberating far beyond the immediate crisis.
In summary, the BURMA Act presents a paradox for Bangladesh. On one side lies the promise of justice, repatriation, and regional stability; on the other, the risk of regional destabilization, internal security threats, and increased diplomatic pressure. Whether the act becomes a catalyst for peace or another flashpoint in an already volatile region will depend not just on the ambitions of global superpowers, but on the measured, pragmatic diplomacy of countries like Bangladesh — nations that stand not at the center of the storm, but directly in its path.
Strategic Concerns Raised by Bangladeshi Experts
The prospect of Bangladesh permitting a UN-supervised humanitarian corridor to Myanmar's Rakhine State has sparked intense debate among security analysts, diplomats, and researchers, who warn of unaddressed risks to national sovereignty, regional stability, and the Rohingya crisis. While the interim government has denied formal approval, experts highlight unresolved critical concerns.
A recurring critique centers on the interim government's authority to make such a consequential decision without broader political consensus. Researchers emphasize that agreements involving territorial access for foreign entities—even under UN auspices—demand parliamentary scrutiny or, at minimum, cross-party consultation. They argue that the absence of elected representation undermines the legitimacy of the move and risks policy reversals by future governments. "An interstate corridor is a matter of national security, not just humanitarianism," one academic stressed that interim administrations lack the mandate for long-term strategic commitments.
Security analysts paint a grim picture of corridors in conflict zones, citing global precedents where aid routes became conduits for arms trafficking, criminal networks, or even foreign military presence. With Rakhine controlled largely by the Arakan Army (AA)—a group with opaque ties to Bangladeshi insurgents—experts fear aid convoys could be hijacked to fuel conflict or infiltrate militants. "Humanitarian corridors often morph into security liabilities," warned a migration specialist, pointing to Gaza and Ukraine as cautionary tales. The lack of clarity over who would secure the corridor—Bangladesh, the UN, or third parties—further compounds anxieties.
The AA's dominance in Rakhine raises thorny questions. While the group pays lip service to Rohingya repatriation, experts note its history of anti-Rohingya sentiment and question whether aid would reach the persecuted minority. "Handing supplies solely to Rakhine factions risks exacerbating ethnic tensions," said a researcher, urging guarantees for Rohingya inclusion in distribution. Others warn that stabilizing Rakhine through aid could incentivize the AA to delay repatriation, leaving Bangladesh permanently saddled with refugees. Recent data underscores the urgency: over 113,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since late 2023, even as Dhaka negotiates returns.
Geopolitical Crossfire: Myanmar’s ‘Mafia State’ and Foreign Agendas
Diplomatic observers highlight the corridor's geopolitical minefield. Myanmar's junta, described as a "syndicate" by one analyst, cannot be trusted to honor agreements. At the same time, China and India, key players in Rakhine's resource-rich terrain, may view UN involvement as encroachment. "Thailand's offer to host a parallel corridor doesn't absolve Bangladesh of risks," noted a foreign policy expert, emphasizing that Dhaka remains the primary spillover zone for conflict. Critics also question why neighboring India and China, with closer ties to Myanmar, haven't been pressed to open similar routes.
A recurring theme is the lack of enforceable conditions. Experts demand clear terms: timelines for Rohingya repatriation, mechanisms to prevent aid diversion, and consequences if inflows continue. "Humanity without accountability becomes a national liability," argued a migration scholar, referencing Bangladesh's 1.2 million Rohingya as proof of the international community's broken promises. The BNP's comparison to Gaza, where refugee camps birthed permanent crises, resonates among skeptics who fear the corridor could entrench Bangladesh's role as a perpetual buffer for Myanmar's conflicts.
A Call for Caution and Consensus
The overarching recommendation is for transparency and unity. "This isn't a decision for bureaucrats alone," asserted a security researcher, urging the government to convene political leaders and military stakeholders. With Rakhine resembling a tinderbox and Myanmar's junta unpredictable, experts stress that Bangladesh's interests, not just humanitarian ideals, must dictate terms. As one analyst starkly put it: "If we become another Gaza, no UN corridor will save us."
The debate underscores a stark reality: while the world sees a humanitarian shortcut, Bangladesh faces a potential trap—one that could blur borders, empower adversaries, and deepen its refugee crisis without guaranteed returns. The corridor, if pursued, demands ironclad safeguards that Dhaka has yet to secure.
U.S. Policy for Myanmar, Especially Rakhine
U.S. policy toward Myanmar since the 2021 military coup has been marked by excessive caution, strategic hesitancy, and overall ineffectiveness. Despite the passage of the 2022 BURMA Act, which authorizes non-lethal support to resistance groups such as the National Unity Government (NUG) and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), the Biden administration has failed to implement these provisions meaningfully. This inaction has created a vacuum increasingly filled by China, whose influence over Myanmar's internal dynamics, particularly in Rakhine and northern states, has grown significantly as a result.
Washington's reluctance stems from two key misconceptions: first, that assertive U.S. involvement might provoke a proxy conflict with China; second, that ASEAN-led diplomacy is the safest path to avoid such confrontation. However, both assumptions have proven flawed. China has already interpreted the U.S. posture in Myanmar as more assertive than it is, responding with deeper engagement with the junta, including diplomatic support, pressure on EAOs, and increased influence in ceasefire negotiations. Beijing's activities in border areas like Rakhine and Kachin underscore that U.S. passivity does not de-escalate China's strategic ambitions—it enables them.
In this context, a humanitarian corridor to Rakhine from Bangladesh—initially framed as a means of delivering aid to vulnerable populations, including Rohingya and displaced ethnic Rakhine—could create a complex operational environment that Washington may be tempted to leverage as part of its intensifying anti-China strategy. If endorsed multilaterally or under a U.N. or regional mechanism, such a corridor would offer the U.S. a platform to assert moral leadership, increase presence along China's periphery, and indirectly support non-junta actors. However, it could also risk militarizing humanitarian space and deepening geopolitical contestation in a region already fragile from decades of conflict and displacement.
The U.S. State Department's stated objective—to promote inclusive democracy and mitigate coercive external influences—is fundamentally undermined by the current policy's inertia. Washington can employ several tools without triggering Beijing's red lines, including logistical, technical, and diplomatic support for resistance actors. These could be channeled through third-party convening or covert channels, especially in Thailand or other neighboring states already familiar with Myanmar's civil society.
The prospects for a more assertive strategy may hinge on the incoming Trump administration. Personnel choices—including China hawks like Rep. Mike Waltz and Sen. Marco Rubio—indicate a possible shift toward a more confrontational posture toward China. However, President Trump's isolationist tendencies and his history of transactional diplomacy with Xi Jinping raise the risk that Myanmar may be deprioritized in favor of strategic bargaining elsewhere. A humanitarian corridor—while ostensibly about alleviating human suffering—could become a tool in the U.S.-China competition if not carefully insulated from geopolitical agendas.
Several competing interests within the Trump administration will complicate a coherent U.S. Myanmar policy. Nevertheless, the incoming administration's Asia advisers should take this opportunity to review Washington's current policy, reflect on the underlying reasons for its failure, identify the United States' long-term goals in Myanmar, and design a new strategy that better aligns ends, ways, and means.
Without such a reassessment, the U.S. risks entrenching a status quo that empowers China, marginalizes democratic actors, and perpetuates instability across regions like Rakhine, undermining regional security and American strategic credibility.
While a humanitarian corridor to Rakhine from Bangladesh may offer a lifeline to vulnerable populations, it also risks entangling Bangladesh in the broader U.S.-China strategic rivalry. The corridor could strain Dhaka's delicate balancing act between its relationships with Washington and Beijing, heighten security concerns along the border, and potentially invite retaliatory pressure from the Myanmar junta or its allies. Thus, a humanitarian initiative could quickly evolve into a geopolitical flashpoint, complicating Bangladesh's foreign policy and internal stability.
India’s Security Dilemma and the Corridor’s Ripple Effects
The proposed humanitarian corridor from Bangladesh to Myanmar's Rakhine State represents far more than a simple aid delivery mechanism - it carries profound geopolitical implications that extend well beyond Myanmar's borders, particularly for neighboring India. New Delhi faces a complex dilemma as it weighs its strategic interests in Myanmar against the potential consequences of this corridor. India's substantial infrastructure investments, border security architecture, and delicate regional balancing act against China's expanding influence are at stake.
India's northeastern frontier already grapples with significant security challenges from Myanmar's instability. The porous 1,642-kilometer border has long served as a haven for insurgent groups, while becoming a major conduit for drug trafficking from the Golden Triangle. A humanitarian corridor that strengthens the Arakan Army's position could inadvertently provide cover for increased militant activity and contraband flows. This concern is particularly acute given historical ties between some Indian insurgent groups and ethnic armed organizations in Myanmar. India's recent moves to fence the border and implement electronic surveillance demonstrate its growing anxiety about these cross-border threats. Still, a formal aid corridor may require even more robust - and costly - security measures.
The corridor poses risks to India's flagship Kaladan Multimodal Project, a $484 million infrastructure initiative to connect India's landlocked northeast to Sittwe Port in Rakhine State. This strategic investment already hangs in the balance as the Arakan Army makes territorial gains across Rakhine. Sittwe remains one of the last major junta strongholds in the region, and any shift in the military balance that further weakens the junta's position could jeopardize the entire project. India's attempts to engage with the Arakan Army have yielded limited results, leaving New Delhi with few good options to protect its economic and strategic interests.
Complicating matters further is China's growing influence in Myanmar. Beijing has skillfully cultivated relationships with both the junta and ethnic armed groups, including providing military equipment and economic support through initiatives like the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor. A humanitarian corridor that strengthens the Arakan Army could play into China's hands by further destabilizing junta control in Rakhine, potentially allowing Beijing to expand its strategic footprint at India's expense. This dynamic makes India uncomfortable as it tries to balance its pragmatic engagement with the junta against Western pressure to support humanitarian initiatives.
The economic ramifications extend beyond security concerns. Myanmar-Bangladesh trade, which reached $748 million before the coup, relies on relative stability in the border regions. A corridor that alters the power dynamics in Rakhine could disrupt established supply chains and complicate India's connectivity projects, including the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway. Moreover, if the humanitarian corridor fails to achieve its stated goals and instead exacerbates conflict, the resulting displacement could trigger new refugee flows into Bangladesh and potentially spill over into India's northeast, reigniting ethnic tensions similar to those seen in Manipur in 2023.
For Bangladesh - Complexities and Challenges
For Bangladesh, these regional implications create additional complexity to an already difficult decision. What might appear as a straightforward humanitarian gesture carries the potential to reshape regional power dynamics in ways that could ultimately undermine Dhaka's interests. The corridor risks drawing Bangladesh deeper into Myanmar's internal conflicts while straining relations with India and potentially facilitating Chinese influence in its immediate neighborhood. This creates a classic security dilemma where actions taken to address one problem may inadvertently create larger challenges.
The humanitarian corridor debate highlights the interconnected nature of security and stability in South and Southeast Asia. India's concerns demonstrate how initiatives framed in humanitarian terms can have far-reaching strategic consequences that transcend national borders. For Bangladesh, this means the decision cannot be made in isolation - it must account for how the corridor might affect regional power balances, security architectures, and economic partnerships. Even well-intentioned humanitarian interventions can become geopolitical flashpoints in neighborhoods where great power rivalries increasingly play out through proxy relationships and infrastructure diplomacy. Regional actors' challenge will be finding approaches that address immediate human suffering without compromising long-term stability. This balance has thus far proven elusive in Myanmar's complex conflict landscape.
Given the profound implications of establishing a humanitarian corridor into Myanmar's Rakhine State, the current interim government of Bangladesh is neither appropriately, ethically, nor legally positioned to make such a far-reaching policy decision. This government's constitutional mandate is limited to overseeing day-to-day governance and preparing for free and fair elections, not to engage in high-stakes geopolitical maneuvers that could affect national sovereignty and regional stability for years to come.
There is no clarity on the specifics of the proposed corridor, no transparent consultation with political parties, and no publicly disclosed formal request from the United Nations or any conflict party in Myanmar. Furthermore, the UN Secretary-General's remarks were ambiguous, lacking concrete details or backing from the Security Council, and raised serious concerns about legitimacy and international consensus.
Without a formal proposal or multilateral agreement, the interim government's apparent willingness to proceed based on vague and shifting statements undermines democratic accountability. It also exposes Bangladesh to potential misuse of its territory, mainly when groups like the Arakan Army are actively engaged in conflict, and no guarantee exists that humanitarian aid would not be diverted or militarized.
Moreover, several major political parties, including the BNP, CPB, and Jamaat-e-Islami, have vocally opposed the move, citing national security risks, constitutional overreach, and fears of being entangled in US-China strategic competition. These criticisms are not partisan noise but grounded in legal principle, democratic process, and national interest.
Without a national consensus, transparent dialogue, and legal authority, any unilateral step by the interim government toward establishing a humanitarian corridor would be premature and dangerously irresponsible at worst.
Conclusion: Humanitarian Vision or Geopolitical Trap?
The proposed humanitarian corridor from Bangladesh into Myanmar’s Rakhine State reveals a disturbing convergence of altruistic language with complex geopolitical maneuvering. While it is presented as a lifeline to avert mass famine and enable refugee repatriation, the evidence shows that such corridors often become conduits for militarization, strategic intervention, and the erosion of national sovereignty. For Bangladesh—already bearing the burden of over a million refugees—this proposal is not merely humanitarian but existential.
The absence of political consensus, transparent dialogue, and enforceable conditions further exacerbates the risks. With a fragile interim government at the helm, any unilateral movement could entangle the country in a high-stakes geopolitical rivalry it is ill-prepared to navigate.
Meanwhile, regional actors like India, China, and Thailand weigh their own interests, sometimes at cross purposes with Dhaka.
Unless approached with extreme caution, detailed security guarantees, and multilateral frameworks anchored in humanitarian principles and national interest, the corridor may become a liability rather than a solution. The stakes are not just about food aid but also about Bangladesh’s long-term security, sovereignty, and regional role in a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape.
POSTSCRIPT
The Limits of an Interim Government's Mandate in Strategic Policymaking
As Bangladesh grapples with the profound geopolitical implications of a potential humanitarian corridor into Myanmar, one truth must be reiterated with clarity and urgency: the current interim government is not appropriately poised—ethically, politically, and also may be legally to a great extent—to make such a far-reaching, strategic decision on behalf of the nation.
By definition and constitutional convention, interim governments are entrusted with a narrow and restrained mandate. Their role is not to steer the country into new geopolitical directions, but rather to administer the state impartially and ensure the transition to an elected government is smooth, credible, and democratic. Any deviation from this mandate, particularly in matters involving national security, international agreements, or long-term policy commitments, risks undermining both the interim regime's legitimacy and future representative governance's sovereignty.
In Bangladesh’s case, the stakes are even higher. After more than 15 years of political autocracy, institutional weakening, and democratic erosion, the interim government holds a transitional mandate and a corrective one. It bears a heightened responsibility to initiate credible political reforms—electoral transparency, bureaucratic restructuring, and judicial independence—that must be endorsed by all segments of state power. These reforms must then be entrusted to a future elected government to operationalize, under full legal and public scrutiny.
This imperative requires the interim government to concentrate its legitimacy-building efforts internally, rather than risking international entanglements that could have generational consequences. Strategic restraint, not adventurism, is the doctrine that must guide its choices.
What makes this moment even more troubling is the composition of the current interim government. Several of its appointed members are not Bangladeshi citizens—a grave concern for a government whose decisions may have irreversible national consequences. These individuals have declared allegiance to foreign states and hold foreign passports. In moments of crisis or accountability, they would not be answerable to the people of Bangladesh but shielded by the protections of another nation. This fact alone challenges their capacity to act as stewards of Bangladesh’s long-term interest.
Moreover, some officials have spent their professional careers working for Western governments or executing programs funded by those states. These longstanding ties inevitably raise concerns about latent influence and conflicting loyalties, particularly when such actors are positioned to influence matters of foreign policy, national defense, or strategic aid delivery.
The pattern is not unprecedented. Under the previous Awami League regime, criminal elements used their international ties to evade justice and flee accountability. While the individuals in the current interim government may not carry the same legal baggage, the architecture of unaccountability enabled by foreign affiliations remains distressingly similar.
This moment calls for uncompromising prudence in a country still emerging from a long phase of political suffocation and institutional decay. The interim government must focus squarely on enabling a credible electoral process, implementing core institutional reforms, and building the trust necessary for the next government, elected and accountable, to pursue longer-term political, economic, and diplomatic transformations.
To act otherwise would not only breach its mandate but also jeopardize the democratic recovery it was appointed to protect.
(The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author)
The Writer is a Political and International Affairs Analyst
