Amid escalating tensions and internal discord within Bangladesh's top military and national security leadership, the Directorate General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the Bangladesh Army has identified a 64-kilometre circuitous route between Silkhali and Naikhongchari—close to the headquarters of the 10th Infantry Division at Ramu—intended to facilitate logistical supplies across the Myanmar border into Rakhine.
According to Bangladesh intelligence sources, the proposed route reportedly runs through Shamlapur, Balukhali, Ghumdhum and Ukhia before reaching Naikhongchari in Bandarban district.
India is keeping a close eye on developments concerning the proposed "humanitarian corridor" from Bangladesh into Myanmar’s conflict-ridden Rakhine State. Indian security and diplomatic establishments are particularly concerned about the implications such a corridor may have for regional stability, cross-border security and New Delhi’s own strategic calculations along the sensitive Indo-Myanmar-Bangladesh tri-junction.
“This tactical planning of identifying the corridor route comes even as serious rifts persist within the Bangladesh military establishment. The top leadership of the Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force are divided in their stance over the so-called “humanitarian corridor”, conceptualised and pushed by National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman,” said an officer of Bangladesh Army’s intelligence wing.
India views with concern the widening schism between NSA Khalilur Rahman and the service chiefs, particularly Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman, who, along with Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan and Navy Chief Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hassan, reportedly opposed the corridor initiative at a late-night meeting on May 16. The two-hour-long meeting ended inconclusively, signaling persistent unease within Dhaka's military echelons.
“Of note, Principal Staff Officer (PSO) Lt Gen Kamrul Hassan—an ally of the NSA and reportedly instrumental in implementing the corridor through the Armed Forces Division (AFD)—was not included in the meeting. Despite Gen Zaman’s attempt to remove him from the AFD, interim Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus blocked the move, reflecting growing civil-military friction in the Bangladeshi interim government,” said the officer of the neighbouring country’s intelligence establishment.
New Delhi is also observing with interest the involvement of international players. On May 11, the very day Gen Zaman was ordered to cancel his visit to Hawaii for the LANPAC-25 defence symposium, Lt Gen Kamrul Hassan rushed to meet the American Chargé d’Affaires in Dhaka, Tracey Ann Jacobson. This unscheduled and extended meeting has raised eyebrows in Indian strategic circles, given the wider implications for Indo-Pacific security frameworks.
India’s strategic concerns
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs and Defence Ministry are believed to be closely monitoring the operationalisation of the Silkhali-Naikhongchari route and broader developments surrounding the corridor. The risk of the corridor being exploited by non-state actors, insurgent groups, or humanitarian groups with political links remains a serious concern for India’s border management agencies.
Analysts in Delhi caution that while the corridor is being promoted under humanitarian pretences, the absence of consensus within the Bangladesh military and opaque political calculations may turn it into a flashpoint. The corridor’s proximity to sensitive Indian territories in the Northeast further complicates matters.
Sources suggest India may quietly engage both Dhaka and Myanmar capital Naypyidaw through diplomatic backchannels, urging caution and transparency in cross-border military movements under humanitarian banners.
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