Amid intensifying clashes with the Arakan Army (AA) in northern Rakhine State, over 28 Myanmar junta soldiers have recently crossed into Bangladesh. Bangladeshi authorities confirmed this on Thursday.

These soldiers, after being disarmed, were given safe shelter by Bangladeshi officials, though details regarding their specific unit or battalion remain undisclosed.

The escapees reached Bangladeshi shores by boat, subsequently being taken into custody by the Bangladesh Coast Guard and handed over to Border Guard Bangladesh earlier this week.

This incident follows the repatriation of at least 134 Myanmar security personnel and their families on Sunday, who had also fled recent conflicts with the AA.

Mohammad Nur Khan, a prominent Bangladeshi rights activist and Rohingya researcher, on Thursday called for greater transparency in the handling of these troops. He emphasized the need to disclose the identities of these individuals and investigate any involvement in past atrocities against the Rohingya community.

"We have a right to know who these individuals are and their roles in past persecutions," he stated. “The public should also be informed about the origin of the weapons used in these conflicts.”

Despite public demands for information, Bangladeshi authorities have not provided details on the matter.

Since mid-February, more than 752 junta personnel and their families have been repatriated following AA offensives near Rakhine’s international border, according to sources from Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry.

The repatriations, which occur despite the lack of a formal extradition treaty, are managed by Miah Md Mainul Kabir, a senior Foreign Ministry official specializing in Myanmar affairs. The Myanmar junta has assured Bangladesh that the returning personnel will not face reprisals or legal actions.

BOB Post