Understanding Bangladesh—Myanmar Border Cooperation and Challenges

Bangladesh has two immediate neighbours, India and Myanmar. Bangladesh shares both land and maritime border with Myanmar. Bangladesh and Myanmar resolved the long-standing maritime boundary delimitation dispute peacefully in 2012. However, Bangladesh–Myanmar land border often becomes a source of tension which often results in the killing of the members of the security forces and the innocent people. It is worthy to note that in September 2022, Myanmar mobilized troops on its border with Bangladesh. In addition, human trafficking, drugs trafficking, and arms trafficking are regular phenomenon in Bangladesh–Myanmar border areas. After August 2017 violence and torture by the Myanmar armies to the Rohingya people, more than 1.1 million Rohingyas fled Myanmar and took shelter in Bangladesh through Bangladesh–Myanmar border. Despite the existing challenges with severe implications, Bangladesh–Myanmar border issue has remained understudied. Against this backdrop, this book chapter tries to understand border cooperation and challenges between Bangladesh and Myanmar.