The Rohingya are perennial pawns in Bangladesh’s politics

The Jamaat has described the Arakan Army’s brief cross‑border presence and cultural engagement with local tribes as grave violations of Bangladesh’s sovereignty. This reflects a communally motivated lens on security, in which armed Rakhine formations are cast primarily as threats to Bengali‑Muslim dominance and Bangladesh’s territorial integrity.The Jamaat has described the Arakan Army’s brief cross‑border presence and cultural engagement with local tribes as grave violations of Bangladesh’s sovereignty. This reflects a communally motivated lens on security, in which armed Rakhine formations are cast primarily as threats to Bengali‑Muslim dominance and Bangladesh’s territorial integrity.In August 2025, at a public event in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s newly appointed National Security Adviser, Khalilur Rahman, made a striking declaration. Referring to long-stalled efforts to send Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar, he said, “The Rohingya crisis is like a cancer in Bangladesh’s body. It needs long-term treatment. Until now, the issue has been in the ICU – we have started treatment. All the doctors must now work together to cure it.”