In the shadows of barbed-wire fences and shifting river currents, a fragile border economy thrives—built not on opportunity, but on necessity. Along the Bangladesh–Myanmar border, particularly between Teknaf and Maungdaw, Rohingya families trapped between statelessness and starvation have for years relied on informal trade and cross-border cattle movement as a lifeline.
But today, this narrow strip of survival is under siege—from both sides.
Cattle Across the Naf: Survival, Not Smuggling
On April 20, 2025, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) intercepted 17 cattle near the Nat River, suspected to have been smuggled in from Maungdaw, which lies just across the Naf River in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. With no registered owners, Teknaf Customs auctioned the cattle for over Tk 1.2 million.
Officially, this was a border security success.
Unofficially, it was a story of broken lifelines for displaced people with no access to legal trade, no lands to farm, and no citizenship to claim protection.
“People call it smuggling, but for us, this is survival,” says Khalid, a young Rohingya man who grew up in Maungdaw and now lives undocumented near the Bangladesh border. “We don’t have aid, we don’t have ID cards, we only have hands to work and a river to cross.”
The Informal Economy That Feeds Forgotten People
Rohingya villagers in Maungdaw and Buthidaung have for generations raised livestock—cows, goats, and buffalo—trading informally across borders through narrow forest paths and riverside routes.
With the collapse of formal infrastructure since the 2017 exodus and recent AA takeovers, local Rohingya communities on both sides of the border have relied even more on this informal cattle economy to survive amidst violence, restrictions, and aid cuts.
“After 2017, we lost everything. If we can raise a cow and send it across, we can buy food for our family,” said a Rohingya farmer from Maungdaw, who asked that his name not be used for fear of retaliation.
But with increased militarization, both in Bangladesh’s border belts and AA-controlled regions of Arakan, this fragile economy is now being crushed—its participants labeled as smugglers, criminals, or collaborators.
Caught in Between: Arrest, Auction, and Accusation
In this system, there is no legal permit for the Rohingya—only the risk of arrest, extortion, or violent retribution.
Those in Bangladesh who receive cattle are not high-level syndicates, but small-scale brokers or refugees trying to earn enough to pay off ration debts, fund medical care, or finance escape from the camps.
Once caught, the animals are seized and auctioned. The people? Forgotten.
“We can’t own land, open shops, or get aid cards. They say the cattle are illegal, but what choice do we have?” asked a Rohingya youth from Kutupalong camp, whose cousin was recently detained after being accused of border trade.
The Role of Armed Groups and Border Forces
According to community reports, cattle movement from Maungdaw is increasingly regulated not by tradersbut by armed groups like the Arakan Army (AA), which tax the movement of livestock or sometimes confiscate entire herds and sell them themselves.
“Now the cattle don’t even belong to us. AA controls where they go and who gets paid,” said a displaced Rohingya elder from Myin Hlut. “If they find out we are trading without their consent, they punish us.”
Meanwhile, in Bangladesh, the crackdown continues. While BGB reports seizures as a success, few ask why unregistered cattle continue to cross despite security patrols—or what happens to the families left behind on both sides of the water.
Economic Desperation Driving Irregular Routes
As food rations shrink and livelihood programs stagnate inside the camps of Cox’s Bazar, many Rohingya find smuggling cattle or assisting cross-border trade as their only option. But with every interception, every auction, and every public accusation, the Rohingya are being pushed further into criminality—not by choice, but by neglect.
“No one gives us jobs. No one gives us land. No one gives us papers. But they blame us for trying to live,” says Yasmin, a widowed Rohingya mother of five.
What Needs to Change?
For many Rohingya families, the answer isn’t more fences, more patrols, or more auctions.
It’s recognition, economic access, and dignity.
- Allow safe livelihood alternatives inside and outside the camps.
- Ensure humanitarian access in Arakan, particularly in Rohingya villages suffering under AA control.
- Create legal cross-border trade channels that do not criminalize displaced people.
- Establish monitoring mechanisms to document exploitation by armed actors, both state and non-state.
Because until that happens, the river will remain both a lifeline and a prison—and the Rohingya will remain caught between survival and punishment, moving silently through the currents of a border that was never drawn for them.
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