BGB rejects United League of Arakan's allegation of ties with ARSA, RSO

Border Guard Bangladesh has slammed the recent claims by the United League of Arakan (ULA), the political wing of the Arakan Army (AA), which alleged that the BGB supports the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO).

"BGB firmly rejects the ULA's propaganda of having any connection with ARSA and RSO. These accusations are misleading," said the BGB in a statement adding that the force has consistently treated ARSA and RSO as security threats rather than allies.

"Several members of these groups, including top leader Ataullah Jununi, have been arrested from Bangladesh," it said.

The border force stressed that its mandate is to secure the frontier, maintain law and order, and shoulder the responsibility of hosting over a million Rohingya refugees.

Since the collapse of Myanmar's ceasefire in late 2023, BGB has intensified patrols along the Naf River and the frontier hills to prevent spill-over violence, it said.

According to the statement, troops have been deployed in rotation around the clock in Ghundhum and across the Bandarban-Cox's Bazar belt, supported by additional manpower, arms, and equipment. The force has also raised awareness in land mine-affected areas and extended financial and medical assistance to affected families.

BGB pointed to the AA's internal struggles in northern Maungdaw, saying prolonged conflict, involvement in the narcotics trade, and looting have eroded morale within its ranks. Desertions, coordination failures, and food shortages in Buthidaung have further weakened the group. In one case, an AA lieutenant reportedly defected and surrendered inside Bangladesh, the statement said.

It added that AA's abuses extend beyond the Rohingya, targeting smaller ethnic groups such as the Mro and Tanchangya, as well as Rakhine families unwilling to pay extortion money. Many have fled across the border into Bangladesh, according to BGB.

The statement also noted that militants infiltrate from Myanmar, not from Bangladeshi soil, while AA-planted landmines along the frontier make it implausible for ARSA to operate from inside Bangladesh.

The statement said the allegations are aimed at obscuring the AA's record of abuses and influence in northern Rakhine.

It urged the international community to recognise these realities, hold perpetrators accountable, and work toward conditions for the safe and voluntary repatriation of Rohingya refugees.

"BGB will continue to uphold its humanitarian responsibilities and secure the border, not through collusion with extremists but through vigilance, diplomacy, and humanitarian action," it said.

Keywords:

BGB, border guard bangladesh, border, bangladesh border, myanmar, rohingya, rakhine, rakhine state, arsa, rso, ula, aa, arakan army,