Topic: 2025 – Situation in Mali
Country: Bangladesh
Delegate Name: Allyson Becker
For Bangladesh, the crisis in Myanmar is not an abstract geopolitical dilemma but a lived humanitarian, security, and social reality. Since the military coup of February 1st, 2021, Myanmar has descended into one of the most devastating civil conflicts in Southeast Asia’s recent history. The coup, echoing the military’s long-standing pattern of seizing power under the banner of “national unity,” has dismantled Myanmar’s fragile democratic progress and ignited renewed violence between the Tatmadaw, the National Unity Government (NUG), and powerful Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs). As these competing forces shape the future of Myanmar, Bangladesh—sharing a long, porous border and hosting nearly one million Rohingya refugees—has a profound stake in the restoration of peace, stability, and human rights.
The present crisis is inseparable from Myanmar’s long history of broken promises to ethnic minorities. The aspirations for a federal union outlined by General Aung San in 1947 never materialized after his assassination, and decades of military rule entrenched ethnic inequality. The tensions between the majority-Bamar state and minority populations eventually gave rise to EAOs seeking either autonomy or full independence. Today, as these groups gain territorial control—some estimates suggest the junta now holds barely one-fifth of the country—the risk of fragmentation remains high. Bangladesh believes that any post-conflict settlement must guarantee meaningful political representation, federal autonomy, and security protections for all ethnic minorities. Without these provisions, Myanmar risks replacing one form of instability with another.
Bangladesh’s position is shaped significantly by the plight of the Rohingya people. The atrocities committed by the Tatmadaw in Rakhine State (ethnic cleansing, mass displacement, and systematic persecution) forced over 740,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh beginning in 2017. The situation has only deteriorated since the coup. New waves of violence, land seizures, and religious persecution threaten the remaining Rohingya population, while the Arakan Army’s expansion has introduced new forms of oppression against Muslim communities in Rakhine. Bangladesh has carried the humanitarian burden of hosting Rohingya refugees for years with limited international support, and the prospect of safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation is impossible under current conditions. Therefore, Bangladesh views the stabilization of Myanmar not solely through the lens of governance but as the necessary precondition for resolving one of the world’s largest refugee crises.
Bangladesh is equally alarmed by Myanmar’s growing vulnerability to foreign interference. As the civil war intensifies, so does the risk of escalation into a regional proxy conflict. China’s complex involvement—including support to both the junta and several EAOs in order to secure its pipelines and rare-earth interests—illustrates the geopolitical volatility surrounding the conflict. The presence of Chinese private military corporations, combined with shifting U.S. sanctions, threatens to internationalize the war. Bangladesh believes firmly that Myanmar’s crisis must not become a battleground for external powers. A coordinated ASEAN–UN framework, rooted in diplomacy and humanitarian access rather than strategic competition, is essential to prevent escalation.
Humanitarian access remains one of the most urgent obstacles. After the devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake in March 2025, the junta obstructed aid workers, displaced survivors, and escalated airstrikes even during declared ceasefires. Such actions constitute violations of international humanitarian law and undermine the basic principle that civilians must never be targeted. Bangladesh calls for stronger enforcement mechanisms—potentially through UN Security Council monitoring mandates, independent humanitarian corridors, and sanctions targeting individuals who obstruct aid. Given the spillover risks for neighboring countries, Bangladesh believes regional states must be directly involved in guaranteeing aid flows.
As a nation that has endured its own struggles for self-determination, democratic governance, and communal harmony, Bangladesh seeks a path for Myanmar that honors diversity and protects human dignity. Bangladesh aims to support a resolution that ensures meaningful ethnic autonomy, prevents proxy warfare, secures humanitarian access, and lays the groundwork for a democratic and inclusive Myanmar where the Rohingya can finally return home with rights and safety guaranteed.
