Maungdaw, Arakan, September 9, 2025 — Traders in Maungdaw Township have urged the Arakan Army (AA) to introduce temporary border passes for travel into Bangladesh, similar to the one-week passes now being issued for crossings into India’s Mizoram State.
Illegal Crossings into Bangladesh
Local traders told DVB that without formal passes, they are forced to use illegal routes to enter Bangladesh, exposing themselves to arrest by Bangladeshi police. “We have to use illegal routes to travel into Bangladesh. We’re risking arrest for illegal entry,” one trader said on condition of anonymity.
AA’s Border Pass System in India
Since August, the AA office in Shinletwa village, Paletwa Township in southern Chinland, has been issuing one-week border passes for travel into Mizoram. AA spokesperson Khaing Thukha explained that the passes are designed to monitor crossings for security and health reasons, not to facilitate trade or imports.
Reliance on Cross-Border Trade
Residents of AA-controlled areas in Arakan and southern Chinland depend heavily on cross-border trade with India and Bangladesh to secure basic food and medicines. Since November 2023, when the AA launched its statewide offensive, the junta has blocked land and sea routes. This has left communities cut off from essential supplies.
Control of Territory
The AA now controls 14 of Arakan’s 17 townships, as well as Paletwa in Chinland. Myanmar’s military regime retains control of the state capital Sittwe, along with Kyaukphyu and Manaung.
Growing Pressure for Access
With border passes available only for India, traders in northern Arakan insist that similar arrangements with Bangladesh are urgently needed to ensure safer cross-border movement and reduce reliance on dangerous, illegal routes.
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