Bangladesh confirms talks with Arakan Army on Rohingya crisis
DMG Newsroom
9 November 2026, Maungdaw
Bangladesh is holding discussions with Myanmar's authorities and the Arakan Army (AA) as part of efforts to resolve the prolonged Rohingya refugee crisis, according to State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam.
Speaking at a policy dialogue in Dhaka on Sunday, the minister said the government had established a committee to formulate a national strategy for addressing the crisis, which has left more than 1.3 million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
“The government has formed a committee to formulate a national strategy on the Rohingya issue. Under this committee, we are talking to the Myanmar government as well as establishing contact and holding discussions with the Arakan Army,” she said, according to Bangladesh's New Age newspaper.
Her remarks publicly confirmed Dhaka's engagement with the AA, which controls most of Arakan (Rakhine) State, including territory along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.
The AA's territorial gains have significantly altered the political and security landscape in western Myanmar, making engagement with the group increasingly relevant to any future repatriation arrangements.
Describing the Rohingya crisis as fundamentally political, Shama Obaed Islam warned that conventional diplomatic efforts alone would be insufficient to secure a lasting solution.
She emphasized the importance of building political consensus within Bangladesh and strengthening international engagement with relevant stakeholders in Myanmar.
The minister also called for greater international pressure to create conditions for the safe, voluntary and dignified return of Rohingya refugees to their homeland.
Bangladesh has hosted large numbers of Rohingya refugees since Myanmar's military launched a brutal crackdown in 2017, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee across the border. Continued displacement and instability have complicated repatriation efforts.
At the same dialogue, former interim government adviser Brigadier General (retired) M Sakhawat Hossain urged Bangladesh to approach the crisis strategically rather than treating it solely as a humanitarian issue.
He argued that Dhaka should maintain constructive relations with the AA through direct negotiations or third-party channels.
Hossain also suggested that Arakan could eventually develop a confederal or similar political arrangement, although this remains his assessment rather than an established political outcome.
He expressed skepticism about India's willingness to assist Bangladesh in resolving the crisis and proposed considering a China-linked economic corridor as potential diplomatic leverage.
The discussions highlight the growing importance of the AA in regional diplomacy as Myanmar's military continues to lose territorial control in Arakan State.
However, no formal agreement, repatriation timetable or specific mechanism for refugee returns was announced.
Any sustainable repatriation process would require guarantees of safety, voluntary return, dignity and fundamental rights, alongside meaningful participation by Rohingya communities and cooperation among relevant authorities.
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