The reluctance on the part of the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry in announcing the replacements for two diplomatic positions in the country’s mission in Myanmar, appears to be in large part an outcome of an “internal disorder”, sources familiar with the developments say.
On May 27, the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry confirmed that it had recalled Ambassador Mohammad Monowar Hossain with immediate effect.
The decision to recall Hossain, who joined the post in August 2023, appears to be related to the Myanmar State Administration Council’s stand on the “contacts” and “ties” between actors in Bangladesh’s interim government and the Arakan Army.
The adverse impact on Bangladesh-Myanmar diplomatic ties, sources said, was an outcome of the public acknowledgement by Bangladesh’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Khalilur Rahman some time ago that officials in Dhaka were in close contact with the Arakan Army, an insurgent group that operates primarily in the Rakhine State.
On its part, Dhaka took the stand that Monowar had not been declared persona non grata by the Myanmar military junta.
But the Yunus-led interim regime has so far not come up with any credible reason for recalling Monowar.
On May 13, the Bangladesh authorities issued a notification ordering Military Attache Brigadier General Mohammad Aftab Hossain to return to Dhaka post haste.
This followed the Myanmar military government’s decision to declare Brig Hossain persona non grata for indulging in activities that went against his diplomatic duties.
That the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry is in turmoil is obvious from the manner in which former Foreign Secretary Mohammad Jashim Uddin was relieved of the critical post.
In this context, sources said that before being removed as Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin had forewarned that Myanmar could act against the ambassador.
Northeast News had earlier reported that Jashim Uddin was removed for taking a line – on the proposed “humanitarian corridor” – that was at odds with the Yunus-led interim regime.
Bangladeshi sources said that Jashim Uddin’s ouster was an outcome of the stand that he took against NSA Khalilur Rahman.
Now, however, it appears that the Bangladesh authorities are in no hurry to send replacements for Monowar and Brig Hossain.
The proposed “humanitarian corridor” issue riled Bangladesh’s powerful military establishment with Army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman publicly expressing his strong disapproval of such a move.
The “humanitarian corridor” issue pit Khalilur Rahman against the armed forces which recently declared that they would not do anything that would compromise Bangladesh’s sovereignty or cause alarm among neighbouring countries.
There are now reports that there is “disquiet” within the corridors of the Foreign Ministry where established senior officials are viewing the NSA’s moves with apprehension and misgivings, especially on an issue that could further damage Bangladesh’s relations with Myanmar.
They see the Yunus-led interim regime’s “incautious” move on the Arakan Army as being potentially “precipitous”.
This could, many serving and retired Foreign Ministry bureaucrats said, pit China and Russia, not to mention India, against Bangladesh and damage ties with these countries in the near future.
