🇧🇩’The Bangladesh-Myanmar Corridor for Rakhine : How Bangladesh is Becoming a Pawn in the Power Play of Three Regional Hegemonies’-By Tipu Chowdhury

It is neither the people of Bangladesh, their elected representatives, nor the government – but rather the newly appointed coordinator’s and their leader,the unelected Dr. Yunus and his cadre, who have unilaterally agreed to establish a “humanitarian corridor” along the border for citizens of Myanmar’s conflict-ridden Rakhine state, acceding to UN requests. Officials state: “The UN wants to create this corridor through Bangladesh to deliver ‘humanitarian aid’ to Rakhine.” Let us all remember this carefully crafted phrasing – “for delivering humanitarian aid.”

I would like to draw kind attention and request the United Nations to organize a free and fair election in Bangladesh as soon as possible and ensure the participation of the Bangladesh Awami League in that election. The government formed by the winners based on acceptable vote results in the election should start the activities of the Rakhine Corridor with the decision. Otherwise, this corridor will become meaningless in the future. Although Dr. Yunus and his friends have already decided on this matter.

Naturally, questions arise about the fate of proposed corridors like the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor – a visionary multimodal connectivity project linking India and China through Myanmar and Bangladesh. Dr. Yunus conspicuously avoids addressing this.

The current proposal focuses narrowly on humanitarian assistance for Rohingyas, while Dr. Yunus paradoxically frames it as a “major economic opportunity” for Bangladesh. The BCIM initiative represented a transformative subcontinental economic vision. What we’re witnessing now appears to be powerful external actors imposing decisions on Bangladesh, with Dr. Yunus providing illegitimate consent without national consensus – an extremely precarious path.

The fundamental question remains: Who empowered Dr. Yunus to unilaterally approve this interim UN humanitarian corridor along the Chittagong-Arakan route, bypassing parliamentary procedures, political consultations, and national consent?

Why Arakan Matters Geopolitically:

• Gateway to China’s Belt and Road Initiative
• Strategic access to the Bay of Bengal
• Bangladesh’s untapped mineral resources
• The region’s natural buffer between Buddhist-Hindu-Muslim zones
• Spiritual anchor for Southeast Asian Muslim identity
• Focal point of US-China-India-Russia power rivalry
• Arena for Israeli and Pakistani strategic interests

The Rohingya Repatriation Paradox:
If Rohingyas entered Bangladesh without corridors, they can surely return the same way. In 1971, India sheltered 10 million Bangladeshi refugees without such mechanisms and repatriated its forces promptly post-war. The current Rohingya influx appears part of a calculated plan:

1. Stage One:Orchestrated atrocities in Rakhine to justify their exodus to Bangladesh
2. Stage Two:Attempted ouster of Sheikh Hasina for non-compliance (failed)
   3.Stage Three:Installing Dr. Yunus as a compliant administrator
   4.Stage Four:Transforming Bangladesh into a defensive buffer zone
3. Stage Five:Perpetuating refugee crisis to reduce Bangladesh to an aid-dependent state

Critical Unanswered Questions About the Corridor:

1. Where are the guaranteed timelines for Rohingya repatriation?
2. Where are the binding commitments from Myanmar, UN, US or China?
3. This isn’t about humanitarianism – it’s a geopolitical football between China, US and India
4. The real aim appears to be creating a permanent unstable zone where:

• Arms and influence can be peddled
• Local insurgents can be cultivated
• Bangladesh’s sovereignty can be eroded

1. Who actually controls the corridor’s terminus? Myanmar government or Arakan Army?
2. What guarantees exist about the corridor’s security parameters?
3. At what cost to Bangladesh’s territorial integrity?

Historical Precedent:Such corridors have historically reduced nations to client states – mere toilets for foreign powers to relieve their geopolitical pressures.

The Urgent Reality:
The spectre now haunting Bangladesh won’t leave unless exorcised immediately. This isn’t about aid – it’s about surrendering sovereignty to global power games where Bangladesh’s interests remain conspicuously absent from the equation.

Syria:
Under the guise of “humanitarian aid,” tents were erected. Then weapons flowed through those same routes, and rebel training camps emerged. ISIS and Al-Nusra were born from such corridors.

Iraq:
The “no-fly zone” existed only on paper. In reality, US military bases took root. This was the road to Saddam’s downfall.

Libya:
A “protection corridor” was established for rebels against Gaddafi. Within a month, NATO used it to bomb the entire country into ruins.

Gaza:
The Rafah crossing was opened as a “humanitarian corridor.” Today, it serves as a hub for butchers, thieves, and clowns—while Mossad operatives exploit it for intelligence gathering on Hamas.

Afghanistan:
The CIA built aid corridors that became bases for drone strikes, assassinations, and covert operations.

The Lesson:
Bangladesh is being set up as the next sacrifice in South Asia’s great power game. Unlike its neighbours, Bangladesh faces no existential threat requiring such a corridor.

Critical Issues Overlooked:

8. Stability Before Corridors: Bangladesh’s urgent need is political stability and democratic restoration—not risky geopolitical experiments.
9. Undemocratic Power Grab:Dr. Yunus, while preaching democracy, has handed over national sovereignty to foreign interests to cement his illegitimate rule.
10. The Scripted Chaos of “Bengal Spring”:The July-August violence was pre-planned, fracturing national unity and exploiting religious sentiments.
11. Bangladesh :Reign of Terror: Over 9 months:

• 2,845 murders
• 1,235 rapes (women & children)
• 945 abductions
• 6,327 thefts
• 255 attacks on police/armed forces
• 2,621 illegal land grabs
• Mass politically motivated cases & capital flight

8. Sheikh Hasina’s Warnings Proven True:Every concern she raised about foreign interference has materialised.
   13.The Double Standard:If Hasina is branded a “murderer” for alleged crimes under her rule, then Yunus and his regime—responsible for this bloodshed—must face twice the accountability.
   14.Targeted Persecution:Innocent Awami League supporters are being tortured, murdered, and silenced—with no legal recourse.
9. Disinformation Warfare: Yunus-backed agents wage propaganda campaigns domestically and internationally.
10. Hypocrisy on India: Those calling Hasina “India’s puppet” ignore that her government:

• Won maritime rights against India in international court
• Resolved border enclave disputes
• Counterbalanced India via Asian Highway links with China, Bhutan, Nepal

The Betrayal of 1757 Repeats Itself
Today’s Bangladesh mirrors the twilight of 1757—where Siraj-ud-Daulah, the East India Company, Robert Clive, and Mir Jafar’s treachery sealed our fate.

A Warning:
Blood never flows in vain. History’s vengeance is terrible. If the people cannot reclaim the Bangladesh they once knew, it may soon be lost forever.

• Tipu Chowdhury
  *Certified Sustainable Business Strategist (Harvard Business School)
  Historian & Political Analyst (Boston, USA)