Relations between the Arakan Army (AA), which controls Rakhine State, and the Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) have become extremely tense following mutual accusations regarding drug trafficking. BGB Chief Colonel Mohiuddin Ahmed alleged that the AA is involved in drug trafficking operations, with Rohingya refugees serving as the primary carriers of drugs allegedly sourced from the AA. He claimed that drug smuggling occurs primarily through maritime routes, with approximately 80 percent of narcotics entering Bangladesh through coastal ports. The BGB chief expressed concern that this trafficking poses a serious threat to Bangladesh’s youth and economy.
AA spokesperson Khaing Thukha strongly rejected these allegations as baseless fabrications. He counter-accused the BGB of providing training and weapons to extremist groups from refugee camps, claiming that these BGB-backed groups are involved in various criminal activities including murder, kidnapping, robbery, rape, drug trafficking, and human trafficking along the border. Thukha asserted that these actions by the BGB severely threaten border stability and regional security. He further alleged that the drugs being seized in Bangladesh actually come through Yangon and Sittwe ports under the control of Myanmar’s military council, transported by navy vessels to Bangladesh’s Saint Martin’s Island.
The AA spokesperson explained that the BGB’s accusations are an attempt to cover up the involvement of certain BGB officers in drug trafficking operations. He pointed out that due to the BGB’s strict restrictions on border trade, it would be impossible for any significant drug trafficking to occur from AA-controlled territories as claimed. The situation has been further complicated by reports of Bangladeshi citizens being arrested for illegal fishing in the Naf River and Rakhine waters, according to AA sources. This escalating war of words between the AA and BGB reflects deeper tensions in the border region, with both sides attempting to maintain their credibility while accusing the other of involvement in illegal activities.
