BGB Rejects ULA/AA Allegations of Support for ARSA and RSO

Arakan Now | 29 September 2025

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

According to BGB, these accusations are false. The force says it has consistently acted to prevent ARSA and RSO activity inside Bangladesh. Several members, including top leader Ataullah Jununi, have been arrested, demonstrating that the BGB treats these groups as threats to regional stability rather than allies. Unauthorised armed personnel have also been evicted from border areas as a part of these operations.

BGB mandate focuses on securing Bangladesh's national borders, maintaining law and order, and managing the challenges of hosting more than a million Rohingya refugees. Since the collapse of Myanmar's ceasefire in late 2023, BGB has increased patrols along the Naf River and the frontier hills to prevent cross border violence. In areas such as Ghundhum and the Bandarban-Coxs-bazar belt, soldiers now operate around the clock in six-hour shifts, supported by additional troops and equipment. 

The BGB has also strengthened camp security, conducted awareness drives in mine-affected areas, marked danger zones with red flags, and provided financial support and medical assistance to affected families, highlighting Bangladesh's commitment to countering security threats. 

Meanwhile the AA faces internal challenges in Northern Maungdaw. prolonged conflict has eroded morale, with some fighters disillusioned by involvement in the narcotics trade, disputed over looting resources, and psychological fatigue. Desertions have created manpower gaps, and new recruits from other Rakhine ethnic groups have struggled with language, terrain knowledge, and reluctance to fight. Food shortages in nearby Buthidaung have prompted some Rohingya civilians to cross into Bangladesh. In one case, an AA lieutenant reportedly defected and surrendered inside Bangladesh.

The Arakan Army’s abuses extend beyond the Rohingya, affecting smaller ethnic minorities such as the Mro and Tanchangya, as well as members of the Rakhine community who refuse to pay extortion. Many have fled into Bangladesh due to intimidation, violence, and harassment.

BGB asserts that intelligence confirms militants infiltrate from Myanmar, not from Bangladeshi soil, and that landmines planted by the AA along the border make it unlikely that ARSA operates freely in Bangladesh. The force maintains that its actions prioritize humanitarian protection, narcotics interdiction, and border stability.

Rejecting ULA allegations of collusion with ARSA and RSO, BGB says these claims are attempts to obscure the AA’s record of abuses and influence in northern Rakhine. The force calls on the international community to recognize the realities on the ground, hold perpetrators accountable, and create conditions for the safe, 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,” the statement said.