By: Camp Correspondent
May 7, 2025
Bangladesh has called for the full and meaningful inclusion of the Rohingya community in any future political or administrative framework being developed in Myanmar’s Arakan (Rakhine) region. The statement comes amid growing concerns that the United League of Arakan (ULA) and its armed wing, the Arakan Army (AA), are establishing a parallel governance system without guaranteeing representation for the Rohingya—Arakan’s historically rooted Muslim population.
Dr. Khalilur Rahman, National Security Adviser to Bangladesh’s caretaker government, stated in Dhaka that “any sustainable peace in Rakhine depends on inclusive governance, and that cannot happen without the Rohingya.” He warned that failure to include the community would severely undermine trust and any future cooperation between Bangladesh and the ULA/AA.
“We have told the United Nations that excluding the Rohingya from the political process may be viewed as a continuation of ethnic cleansing,” Dr. Rahman added.
Rohingya Rights in Question as ULA/AA Expands Control
The ULA/AA currently controls large parts of northern Rakhine State and has begun implementing administrative structures in areas formerly under junta control. Yet there has been no clear commitment from the group regarding Rohingya political participation, citizenship rights, or freedom of movement—issues central to the crisis that drove over one million Rohingya into exile, mostly into Bangladesh.
Since August 2017, when Myanmar’s military launched a campaign of mass violence, over 700,000 Rohingya were forced to flee. Today, more than 1 million Rohingya live in camps in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char, with no pathway for dignified and voluntary repatriation in sight.
While the junta’s grip weakens, the emergence of ULA/AA presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Bangladesh’s latest statement makes it clear that international and regional recognition of Arakan’s new authorities must hinge on how they treat the Rohingya.
The Cost of Exclusion
Rohingya leaders and rights groups have long warned that excluding Rohingya from local governance would entrench their statelessness, deepen segregation, and further validate discriminatory narratives.
“Arakan’s future cannot be built on the continued denial of Rohingya identity and rights,” said a Rohingya educator from Maungdaw, now living in exile. “We are part of this land. Any new governance must reflect that truth.”
International Pressure Mounting
Global observers are now watching how the ULA/AA responds to these diplomatic signals. Dr. Rahman stressed that Bangladesh’s future engagement with Arakan’s authorities will depend on their willingness to include Rohingya voices.
“Without Rohingya participation, the region will remain unstable, and the dream of peace will remain a mirage,” he said.
As the power dynamics in Arakan shift, the world’s attention must stay focused on ensuring justice, inclusion, and dignity for the Rohingya people—both those in exile and those still surviving under repression in their homeland.
