The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry has officially announced the repatriation of 34 Myanmar military council members who had fled to Bangladesh due to the ongoing conflicts in Rakhine State. These military council personnel had escaped across the border into Bangladesh during the intense fighting that occurred in Rakhine State between December 2024 and January 2025. The repatriation process marks a significant development in the handling of military personnel who fled the conflict zone.
The transfer took place on May 7 via a Myanmar Airways International (MNA) flight, which was specifically arranged to retrieve the military council members. Along with these personnel, six Myanmar civilians who had been detained in various Bangladesh prisons were also repatriated in the same operation. The handover process was conducted at Cox’s Bazar Airport in Bangladesh, with the military council’s embassy in Bangladesh actively participating in facilitating the transfer procedures. The diplomatic mission played a crucial role in coordinating the repatriation efforts between the two countries.
This recent repatriation adds to the larger number of military council members who have previously fled the fighting in Rakhine State. In the past year alone, Bangladesh has already repatriated 875 military council members and other service personnel who had escaped the conflict zone, sending them back to Myanmar via sea routes. The continuous exodus of military council members from Rakhine State indicates the intensity of the ongoing conflict in the region, with groups of personnel consistently fleeing across the border to seek refuge in neighboring Bangladesh.
