The Bangladesh Army’s Directorate General of Military Operations has identified a 64-km circuitous route between Silkhali and Naikhongchari, which is near the 10th Infantry Division’s Ramu headquarters, through which supplies will be despatched across the Myanmar border into Rakhine State, two officials familiar with on-going strategies have revealed to Northeast News.
The identification of this route and other related tactical moves by the Bangladesh Army continues even as strong differences of opinion persist between the chiefs of the three armed forces on one hand and National Security Adviser (NSA) Khalilur Rahman, the brainchild behind the controversial “humanitarian corridor”, on the other.
The differences could not be ironed out at a two-hour-long meeting – which ended around 11 pm on May 16 – between Army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman, Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan and Navy chief Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hassan, who have strong misgivings on the proposed “humanitarian corridor”, and Khalilur Rahman.
Curiously enough, Principal Staff Officer (PSO) in the Armed Forces Division (AFD), Lieutenant General Kamrul Hassan, who is said to share Khalilur Rahman’s opinion (on the “humanitarian corridor”) and was close to being removed from the position before interim government Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus struck down the file moved by Gen Zaman, was not involved in last evening’s meeting.
Incidentally, on May 11, Gen Zaman cancelled a visit to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he was scheduled to take part in a Land Forces Pacific (LANPAC) Symposium and Exposition-25, on Yunus’ instructions.
That very day, Lt Gen Hassan rushed to meet American Charge d’Affaires in Dhaka, Tracey Ann Jacobson, at the Baridhara-based US embassy, where the two were closeted for nearly two hours. That very day, and acting swiftly, Gen Zaman moved against Lt Gen Hassan for taking a divergent view on the “humanitarian corridor”. This move was squashed by Yunus under whose office the AFD functions.
Tensions continue to persist in the higher echelons of the Bangladesh Army, even as well-placed Bangladesh security agency sources said that Gen Zaman continues to enjoy the support of a significant number of General Officers Commanding (GOCs). The sources, however, said that Lt Gen Hassan continues to attend office.
Northeast News has reliably learnt that Bangladesh’s Defence Attache in Yangon, Brigadier General Mohammad Aftab Hossain, was pulled out of the mission in the Myanmar capital after he was declared persona non grata for “indulging in activities” not in keeping with his official status.
In other words, Brig Gen Aftab Hossain was, sources said, told to leave Yangon within short notice. A Defence Ministry notification of May 13 said that Brig Gen Aftab Hossain was told to return home “urgently”. He is being considered by the Bangladesh Army headquarters for a posting in an infantry training centre in Rajshahi.
While Directorate of Operations and Plan officers, including Brig Gen Mohammad Alimul Amin, played a key role in identifying the Silkhali-to-Naikhongchari route, the operationalisation of this stretch will most likely be via Shamlapur, Balukhali, Ghumdhum, Ukhia and onward to Naikhongchari (which is in Bandarban district) from where Ramu, the 10th Infantry Division’s headquarters, is merely 14 km. The O&P Directorate functions under the AFD headed by Lt Gen Kamrul Hassan.
Sources said that on March 23, Brig Gen Amin had met a three-member team of US officials led by Dhaka-based US Embassy’s Military Attache Lt Col Michael E De Michiei, Lt Col Hunter Gallacher (from the Office of Defense Cooperation) and Major Ian Leonard at the Armed Forces Division.
Pointing out that the road network in the Silkhali-Naikhongchari route was in poor condition, sources said that the roads will “have to be freshly laid” in many parts for effective and smooth despatch of supplies across the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. Besides, there are reports that the Arakan Army had heavily mined the territory (opposite Naikhongchari) under their control in the Rakhine State.
Northeast News had earlier revealed in April this year that the Bangladesh Army had identified a large parcel of land in Silkhali as a depot for the supplies that will be moved to the Arakan Army ahead of this Rakhine State insurgent outfit’s military operations against the Myanmar military junta forces.
“Bangladesh Army units will also use the land in Silkhali, which is close to a field firing range, as part of a security grid for their operations with the Arakan Army,” an official said.
