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96-683: Other allies: The Arakan Army ( Rakhine : အာရက္ခတပ်တော် , romanized:  Araka Tatdaw ; abbreviated AA ), sometimes referred to as the Arakha Army , is an ethno-nationalist armed organisation based in Rakhine State ( Arakan ). Founded in April 2009, the AA is the military wing of the United League of Arakan (ULA). The Arakan Army are followers of Theravada Buddhism . It

192-416: A havildar as second-in-command. The highest rank for a promotee BGB soldiers, deputy director (major equivalent), fill the billets of battalion adjutant and battalion logistics officers. The subedar-major (lieutenant equivalent) similarly fills the billets of battalion subedar major (ceremonial post) and head Instructors in training establishments and depots. Each Platoon has three sections and each section

288-679: A Bangladeshi fisherman in the Naf River . BGB deployed its first female border guards on 24 February 2017 in the Dinajpur border area. BGB and Myanmar Police Force came to an agreement on 6 April 2017 to remove mines from the border area. The force has female soldiers since 2016. The then- East Pakistan Rifles joined the Bangladesh War of Independence on the side of Mukti Bahini in 1971. One hundred and forty one members earned gallantry awards for their outstanding contribution to

384-650: A footpath from an army outpost in Padua across a disputed territory some 300 metres wide to Indian Meghalaya. On 15 April 2001, the BDR attacked and captured Pyrdiwah village. Both sides later deescalated and returned to the original positions on the border. This incident left 16 Indian Border Security Force paramilitary men dead and 3 Bangladesh Rifles men dead with 5 other BDR troops injured. On 19 April 2005, two BSF personnel were killed in an encounter with Bangladesh Rifles inside Bangladesh territory. According to Bangladesh side,

480-633: A gateway preventing AA from attacking southern Rakhine State. On 27 March, Arakan Army forces seized a camp near Ge Laung village, Ann Township. On 2 April, the Arakan Army announced it had captured a portion of the Ann- Minbu Highway, cutting off Ann from neighboring Padein. During these offensives, on 10 April, the Arakan Army rebranded itself as the "Arakha Army" to represent all people living in Rakhine State. The Arakan Army and

576-563: A higher frequency of open vowels weakening to /ə/ than Standard Burmese. An example is the word for 'salary', ( လခ ), which is [la̰ɡa̰] in standard Burmese, but [ləkha̰] in Arakanese. The following is a summary of consonantal , vowel and rhyme differences from Standard Burmese found in the Arakanese dialect : e.g. The plural particle တို့ ( [do̰] ) corresponds with ရို့ ( [ɹo̰] ) in Arakanese Arakanese

672-623: A junta column along the Taungup- Pandaung road, leading to 60 junta deaths. On 23 June, AA forces captured Thandwe Airport, the first airport to be captured by resistance forces since the 2021 coup. By 26 June, fighting had spread to Ngapali Beach, and the AA began launching attacks on the last 2 junta bases in Thandwe town. On 2 September, the SAC redeclared the AA as a terrorist group for "bombing civilians." Between 4 and 6 February 2024,

768-734: A language from a dialect, scholars and other interested parties often disagree about the linguistic, historical and social status of Arakanese. There are three dialects of Arakanese: Sittwe – Marma (about two thirds of speakers), Ramree , and Thandwe . While Arakanese and Standard Burmese share the majority of lexicon, Arakanese has numerous vocabulary differences. Some are native words with no cognates in Standard Burmese, like 'sarong' ( လုံခြည် in Standard Burmese, ဒယော in Arakanese). Others are loan words from Bengali , English , and Hindi , not found in Standard Burmese. An example

864-660: A notice blocking non-governmental organisations and UN agencies , except for the International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Food Programme , from travelling to rural areas in these townships affected by the conflict. The fighting prompted 5,000 civilians to flee from their homes and to take shelter in monasteries and communal areas across the region, according to the UN Office for

960-438: A number of open syllables and closed syllables. For instance, Arakanese has also merged various vowel sounds, such as ဧ ( [e] ) to ဣ ( [i] ). Hence, a word like 'blood', which is spelt သွေး , pronounced ( [θwé] ) in standard Burmese, is pronounced [θwí] in Arakanese. Similarly, Arakanese has a number of closed syllable rhymes that do not exist in Standard Burmese, including /-ɛɴ -ɔɴ -ɛʔ -ɔʔ/ . The Arakanese dialect also has

1056-665: A result, they took up arms against the Myanmar Army in support of the KIA . In 2014, the AA started a settlement in Rakhine State near the border with Bangladesh and another near the border of Thai-Myanmar with which it has become much stronger and its combat abilities have been positively impacted. In February 2015, the AA fought alongside the Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), an ethnic armed group, and its ally

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1152-441: A script that predates the usage of written Burmese, there is no contemporary lithic evidence to support the existence of such a script. Border Guard Bangladesh The Border Guard Bangladesh ( BGB ) is a paramilitary force responsible for the border security of Bangladesh . The BGB is entrusted with the responsibility to defend the 4,427 kilometres (2,751 mi) border of Bangladesh with India and Myanmar . It

1248-409: A statement claiming that its forces could break the Arakan Army's siege of the outpost. On 26 May 2020, the Arakan Army released a statement demanding the immediate withdrawal of Burmese Government administration and Burmese Armed Forces from Arakan. In January 2019, Myanmar's Anti-Terrorism Central Committee designated Arakan Army as a terrorist group under the country's counter-terrorism law. AA and

1344-701: Is အကျွန် in Arakanese (not ကျွန်တော် , as in Standard Burmese). A more unique difference is the 'Hra' sound which is not found in Burmese: only in Arakanese. eg. ဟြာ(Hra/Seek) and Hraa(ဟြား/very good/smart). A gloss of vocabulary differences between Standard Burmese and Arakanese is below: The phonological system described here is the inventory of sounds, represented using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The consonants of Arakanese are: Arakanese largely shares

1440-409: Is 'hospital', which is called ဆေးရုံ in Standard Burmese, but is called သိပ်လှိုင် (pronounced [θeɪʔ l̥àɪɴ]/[ʃeɪʔ l̥àɪɴ] ) in Arakanese, from English sick lines . Other words simply have different meanings (e.g., 'afternoon', ညစ in Arakanese and ညနေ in Standard Burmese). Moreover, some archaic words in Standard Burmese are preferred in Arakanese. An example is the first person pronoun, which

1536-664: Is commanded by a Major General ranked Bangladesh Army officer. The BGB administration and most of the officer corps are trained and deputed from the Bangladesh Army. There are, however, around 100 officers who are promoted from within the force itself.  They can be promoted as high as deputy director (equivalent to captain in Bangladesh Army ). BGB is organised into a central headquarters and five regional headquarters. The regions of BGB are equivalent to brigades and commanded by brigadier generals deputed from

1632-461: Is commanded by a Naik , with a Lance naik as second-in-command. Each section has two to three teams and the team is led by a lance naik. A BGB personnel is not eligible to lead sections, platoons and companies or hold posts of second-in-command if they are over 40 years of age and those in such positions receive additional 'command allowance'. Its current strength is 70,000 structured along 64 battalions and numerous border outposts (BOP), mostly along

1728-573: Is currently led by Commander-in-Chief Major General Twan Mrat Naing and vice deputy commander-in-chief Brigadier General Nyo Twan Awng . The Arakan Army states that the objective of its armed revolution is to restore the sovereignty of the Arakan people . It was declared a terrorist organization in 2020 by Myanmar, and again by the State Administration Council junta in 2024. In February 2024, Twan Mrat Naing claimed that

1824-590: Is home to Sanskrit inscriptions that date from the first millennium to the 1000s. These inscriptions were written in Northern Brahmic scripts (namely Siddham or Gaudi ), which are ancestral to the Bengali script . However, these inscriptions are not ancestral to Arakanese epigraphy, which uses the Mon–Burmese script . While some Arakanese have coined the term "Rakkhawunna" ( Rakkhavaṇṇa ) to describe

1920-493: Is still commanded by senior officers seconded from the Bangladesh Army. The Bangladesh Rifles have gone through some fundamental changes since 2010. It was officially renamed as the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on 23 January 2011 and reorganised with fresh recruits, also formed their own intelligence unit. The Border Guard Bangladesh Act, 2010 increased the maximum punishment for mutiny from 7 years in jail to

2016-458: Is unevenly distributed between the 1400s to 1800s. In the early 1400s, Arakanese inscriptions began to transition from the square letters associated with stone inscriptions ( kyauksa ), to rounder letters that is now standard for the Burmese script. This coincided with developments in Arakanese literature, which was stimulated by the rise of Mrauk U during the 1400s. What is now Rakhine State

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2112-664: Is written using the Burmese script , which descends from Southern Brahmi . Rakhine speakers are taught Rakhine pronunciations using written Burmese, while most Marma speakers are only literate in Bengali. The first extant Arakanese inscriptions, the Launggrak Taung Maw inscription and the Mahathi Crocodile Rock inscription (1356), date to the 1300s, and the epigraphic record of Arakanese inscriptions

2208-1010: The Arakan Army , a separatist group in Myanmar , attacked a BGB patrol in Boro Modak, Thanchi , Bandarban . Two border guards were injured in the attack. On 11 May 2015, the BGB camp in Thanchi came under mortar fire, BGB retaliated by firing two rounds towards the border Indian BSF agreed to allow BGB to use BSF roads in India to patrol the border on 1 August 2016. On 15 November 2016, Border Guard Bangladesh stopped 86 Rohingyas from entering Bangladesh on two boats. On 6 February 2017, BGB protested with their counterparts in Myanmar Border Guard Police, after they shot and killed

2304-722: The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) clashed in Buthidaung Township on 15 April, killing 25 Rohingyas. A local reported that the Tatmadaw and ARSA fought together during the clashes. On 27 April, the Arakan Army captured Taw Hein Taung base in the hilltops of Ann township. On 6 May, the Arakan army also captured the 15th MOC headquarters. On 3 May, the Arakan Army captured the headquarters of

2400-488: The Bir Protik awards. After independence, on 3 March 1972, the force had been renamed as Bangladesh Rifles. As a mark of recognition for the courage and bravery of its members, BDR introduced ' Bangladesh Rifles Podok ' in 1985 and President Rifles podok ' in 1989. 21 members had received the 'Bangladesh Rifles Podok' 29 had received the 'President Rifles Podok'. Superior officers Subordinate officers The BGB

2496-682: The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 , the EPR fought Indian forces successfully at Asalong Mouja in the Chittagong Hill Tracts . The EPR were used to help police suppress the 1962 East Pakistan Education movement and the 1969 East Pakistan mass uprising , beating students and opening fire on them on several occasions. During the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, nearly nine thousand of the members of

2592-841: The Myanmar civil war , the ceasefire broke down and armed clashes resumed in July 2022 after a Tatmadaw airstrike against an AA base. The two sides agreed to a temporary ceasefire in November 2022, reportedly for humanitarian reasons. On 10 April 2024, AA announced it was changing its name from Rakhain Tatdaw ( Rakhine : ရက္ခိုင့်တပ်တော် ) to Arakha Tatdaw ( Rakhine : အရက္ခတပ်တော် ). Spokesperson U Khaing Thu Kha, claimed "Arakha" represents everyone living in Rakhine State, regardless of background. Even though they claim to be diverse, activists have brought forth evidence of war crimes against Rohingyas following this announcement. However, AA continues to use

2688-765: The Second World War . After the partition of India , the Eastern Frontier Rifles were reconstituted in 1949 with the name Eastern Pakistan Rifles. Their primary role was internal security, including assisting the police in maintaining law and order during emergencies. In this capacity in 1954 they were deployed in industrial areas after labour riots at the Karnaphuli Paper Mill and Adamjee Jute Mill . They were also tasked with interdicting smuggling from eastern Pakistan to India. Despite some success, they were unable to rein in

2784-575: The Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in their conflict with the Myanmar Army. Hundreds of the Tatmadaw's soldiers were reportedly killed in this conflict. On 27 August 2015, there was a clash between the AA and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) forces, with both sides opening fire near the Boro Modak area of Thanci in the Bandarban district , near the shared Burma-Bangladesh border. On 20 August 2015,

2880-762: The Three Brotherhood Alliance and is reportedly involved in joint operations outside of Rakhine State, including Operation 1027 , an offensive ranging from Lashio to Kokang , northern Shan State, in October 2023. AA also had multiple skirmishes with junta forces in Htigyaing Township , Sagaing Region . AA claimed that these skirmishes are part of Operation 1027 . AA and KIA combined forces captured Gangdau Yang base on Myitkyina - Bhamo road on 31 October. A combined force of AA, KIA and local PDF started attacking Kawlin on 3 November and it

2976-575: The Township's police station. By the next morning, the Arakan Army had taken control of the town. Pauktaw's proximity to the Rakhine state capital, Sittwe, posed a threat to the junta. The town was retaken by the junta the following day. In December 2023, the Three Brotherhood Alliance , of which AA is a part, and the junta agreed on a ceasefire in northern Shan State. Following this, in January 2024,

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3072-570: The "Bengal Military Police". Commanded by a Subedar ( Senior Warrant Officer ), the BMP had four companies located in Dhaka , Dhumka and Gangtok . This force also participated in the First World War . The BMP was reorganised yet once again and renamed the " Eastern Frontier Rifles " in 1920. Its primary task was to protect the borders. It also took part in numerous military operations during

3168-466: The 2016 outbreak of conflict in Rakhine state , the AA became more heavily involved in the Arakan region. In 2019, the AA launched attacks on state security forces and the Myanmar Army responded, heightening clashes. The AA reached a ceasefire in late 2020 after eroding the central government's control in northern Rakhine. The power vacuum was filled by the AA over the next 18 months with state-building efforts, like their COVID-19 vaccine rollouts. During

3264-551: The 22nd Light Infantry Division, elements of the 66th and 99th Light Infantry Divisions, and battalions from the Western Command of the Tatmadaw were reportedly involved in the subsequent military offensive against the Arakan Army. Clashes were reported in Maungdaw , Buthidaung, Kyauktaw , Rathedaung and Ponnagyun Townships , located in the northern and central parts of Rakhine State. The Rakhine State government issued

3360-409: The AA and the junta placed blockaded and strict prior notice for all travelers attempting to cross river and land blockades. The renewed war was markedly different as the junta had significantly less morale and the AA was now part of a popular de-facto alliance with NUG-led resistance forces. On 26 November, the Arakan Army and the junta agreed to a temporary ceasefire beginning on the following day. It

3456-621: The AA chief claimed that the group has more than 20,000 soldiers. In a December 2021 interview, Twan Mrat Naing claimed that the AA had grown to 30,000 troops. Although the AA was initially trained by the KIA, it later aligned itself more with the United Wa State Army (UWSA) through the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee . In 2020, India accused China of assisting rebel groups, including

3552-465: The AA denied regime claims that they were targeting them for recruitment, Khine Thu Kha encouraged anyone to volunteer if they wished, regardless of ethnicity or religion. In 10 April 2024, the Arakan Army rebranded its Arakanese name from "Rakhine Army" ( Rakhine : ရက္ခိုင့်တပ်တော် ) to "Arakan Army" ( Rakhine : အာရက္ခတပ်တော် ) to represent all people of Rakhine State. In 18 May 2024, when Arakan Army captured Buthidaung , Rohingya activists accused

3648-719: The AA had grown to at least 38000 troops. Anthony Davis, an expert in military and security, rejected this claim and estimated that it has at least 15,000 troops in Chinland and Rakhine State, and around 1,500 in Kachin State and Shan State . In the early 2010s, the Arakan Army fought alongside the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) against the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces) in the Kachin conflict . Following

3744-584: The AA seized the Taung Pyo junta outpost along the border with Bangladesh in Maungdaw Township. The Arakan Army additionally captured Kyauktaw on 7 February, while heavy fighting continued in Mrauk U and Ramree . The Tatmadaw abandoned Myebon to go to Kyaukphyu on 9 February, leaving ammunition behind in their rush and abandoning the southern township of Mrauk-U District . The following day,

3840-480: The AA took the historic town of Mrauk U completing their control over the township. During the battle, three Myanmar Navy landing craft were reportedly sunk. In response to the seizure of the three towns, the junta blew up bridges in Kyauktaw Township and the state capital, Sittwe. 5 days later, the Arakan Army captured Myebon, completing their capture of the entirety of Mrauk-U District . On 24 March,

3936-518: The Arakan Army clashed with a group of Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB), after ten of their horses were confiscated by the BGB earlier that day. The Arakan Army claim that they stand for self-determination for the multi-ethnic Arakanese population as well as the safeguarding and promotion of the national identity and cultural heritage of the Arakan people. The army has forcibly recruited Rohingya people into its organisational structure and claims to be creating an inclusive, federalist government to counter

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4032-603: The Arakan Army began an offensive on Ann Township concurrently with their offensive on Sittwe, launching attacks on Ann , the headquarters of the junta's Western Command . North of Ann, the Arakan Army launched attacks on neighbouring Ngape Township in Magway Region . Ann's location is strategically important as the link between Rakhine and Magway via the Minbu-Ann road through the Arakan Mountains and as

4128-710: The Arakan Army began clashing with junta forces along the Thandwe - Taungup highway. On 22 April, intense clashes broke out around the Tha Htay hydropower plant in norther Thandwe Township , reportedly leading to the deaths of "dozens" of junta soldiers. On 25 April, the Arakan Army began clashing with junta forces near the Ngapali Beach. On 18 May, the Arakan Army captured Buthidaung and the remainder of Buthidaung Township. The Arakan Army began launching attacks on neighboring Maungdaw on 22 May. On 29 May, junta and

4224-591: The Arakan Army escalated their offence into Paletwa Township and captured Paletwa , a strategic town for the Indo-Myanmar Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project A week later, the Arakan Army again captured the town of Pauktaw, concluding a three-month battle. The Arakan Army captured the remaining Tatmadaw bases in Minbya on 6 February, thus taking full control of Minbya Township . The same day,

4320-578: The Arakan Army launched attacks on Rakhine BGP outposts in Maungdaw Township, later alleging without providing evidence that the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army and Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO) fought alongside the Rakhine BGP. The RSO denounced AA's accusations and the AA labeling them as " Bengalis " among other issues. Later in February when the junta began conscripting largely non-citizen displaced Rohingyas living in Kyaukphyu , AA spokesman, Khine Thu Ka, called upon young Rohingya men fleeing conscription to seek refuge in their territory. While

4416-407: The Arakan Army of burning and targeting Rohingya homes in the town, a claim which the Arakan Army denied. Rakhine language Though Arakanese has some similarity with standard Burmese, Burmese speakers find it difficult to communicate with Arakanese speakers. Thus, it is often considered to be a dialect or variety of Burmese. As there are no universally accepted criteria for distinguishing

4512-410: The Arakan Army released a press statement calling the perpetrators (the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army ) "savage Bengali Muslim terrorists" and the violence a "rampage of the Bengali Islamic fundamentalist militants in northern Arakan." In November 2017, the Arakan Army was involved in heavy clashes with the Tatmadaw in Chin State, in which 11 Tatmadaw soldiers were killed. According to the BBC , there

4608-487: The Arakan Army. The Arakan Army later stated that it had captured nine BGP personnel and five civilians, and that three of its fighters were also killed in the attacks. Following the attacks, the Office of the President of Myanmar held a high-level meeting on national security in the capital Naypyidaw on 7 January 2019, and instructed the Defense Ministry to increase troop deployments in the areas that were attacked and to use aircraft if necessary. Myanmar Army soldiers from

4704-400: The BSF personnel entered Bangladesh without uniforms and attacked a village. According to India they were dragged into Bangladesh and knifed to death. On 25 February 2009, regular BDR soldiers mutinied against their officers who were seconded from the Bangladesh Army. The mutiny took place when senior commanders were in Dhaka for convocation or durbar. A total of 74 people were killed in

4800-528: The Bangladesh Army. Under the regional headquarters, there are a total of 16 sectors. The sectors are commanded by colonels . Under each sectors, there are multiple battalions which are commanded by lieutenant colonels . A battalion has six rifle companies, one support company and one HQ company. Army officers of the rank of captain command the companies and officers of the rank of major fill billets of battalion second-in-command , adjutant, battalion intelligence officer and staff positions in Pilkhana HQ and

4896-459: The Border Guard Police in Maungdaw Township at Kyee Kan Pyin, forcing at least 128 junta soldiers to cross the border into Bangladesh. The next day, the Arakan Army announced that, after a prolonged siege, it had captured the 15th Military Operations Command near Buthidaung . The Arakan Army claimed that the battle for the base killed "hundreds" of junta soldiers, and that hundreds of junta soldiers and their families had surrendered. On 13 April,

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4992-410: The Comilla-Tripura border throughout the entire month of November 1979. In 1996, Bangladesh Rifles personnel had grown to 67 thousand. The 2001 Indian–Bangladeshi border conflict took place in the third week of April 2001 between the Bangladesh Rifles and the Indian Border Security Force on the poorly marked international border between the two countries. This was the worst border conflict Bangladesh

5088-441: The Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs . Civilian casualties, arbitrary detention of ethnic Rakhine villagers, and military blockage of food aid and medical relief were also reported. On 9 March 2019, around 60 AA insurgents launched an evening attack on Yoe-ta-yoke Police Station. According to a leaked combat report, nine policemen were killed, two were injured, and a dozen weapons, including 10 BA-63 battle rifles , were stolen by

5184-450: The East Pakistan Rifles (EPR) turned against the Pakistan Army following the Declaration of Independence of Bangladesh at Kalurghat Radio Station, Chittagong. Eight hundred and seventeen EPR personnel were subsequently reported as being killed in action. The East Pakistan Rifles were the border security and anti-smuggling force stationed in what was to become independent Bangladesh. It was commanded by Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) at

5280-460: The Mutiny. Many senior officers were killed, including almost the entire higher echelon of the command structure – about 57 army officers who were present in the Bangladesh Rifles' headquarters in the capital Dhaka. These included the Director General of the BDR. The soldiers mutinied due to reasons which largely remain unknown, though resentment at officers being seconded from Bangladesh army and allegations of corruption are believed to have been among

5376-465: The No. 31 Police Security Unit at 10 p.m. The Tatmadaw retaliated with fighter jets, bombing AA positions until 6 a.m. the next day. On 22 September, fighting broke out near Taunggyi Village in Myebon Township , as the ceasefire expired. In October, AA soldiers captured a ferry on the Mayu River between Sittwe and Buthidaung Township and abducted a group of 58 passengers, which included soldiers, police officers and government workers. A rescue attempt by

5472-415: The Pakistanis encircled them. As a result, the EPR took heavy losses but managed to retreat. On 29 January 1972, the East Pakistan Rifles were renamed the Bangladesh Rifles with the officers seconded from Bangladesh Army . Bangladesh Rifles initially had 9 thousand personnel in 1971 which by 1973 had increased to 20 thousand. Bangladesh Rifles and Indian Border Security Forces exchanged fire near

5568-489: The Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army engaged in several days of fighting around 60 kilometres (37 mi) north of Sittwe at the border between Kyauktaw and Mrauk U townships. An unknown number of military personnel were killed in the fighting. Several Tatmadaw personnel, including one commanding officer, were killed in sniper attacks. Many others were injured. Following clashes between Rohingya insurgents and Burmese security forces in northern Rakhine State in October 2016,

5664-415: The Tatmadaw in Rakhine, but there are reports of atrocities being carried out by the AA and the use of Rohingya people as cannon fodder and human shields . There are also reports of the Junta exploiting tensions between the Arakanese and Rohingya by forcefully recruiting Rohingya people to be used as human shields and cannon fodders. In a 2021 interview with Prothom Alo , army chief Twan Mrat Naing said

5760-414: The Tatmadaw should the SAC refuse to order a halt to the massacre of civilians protesting the coup . On 10 April 2021, the AA alongside its allies, TNLA and MNDAA , launched an attack on a police station south of Lashio in Shan State , killing at least 14 police officers and burning the station to the ground. Between June and August 2022, the informal ceasefire in late 2020 between the Arakan Army and

5856-413: The Tatmadaw using a helicopter resulted in an exchange of gunfire, killing several of the hostages. On 6 February 2020, the Arakan Army attacked an outpost of the Tatmadaw on a bank of Kaladan River in Chin State. Fighting continued for weeks and peaked in the second week of March when the Arakan Army claimed it had captured 36 soldiers, including a battalion commander. On 19 March 2020, the Tatmadaw made

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5952-504: The UWSA and AA, by supplying weapons and providing hideouts within Indian territory. AA has received Chinese-made weapons, such as surface-to-surface missiles used during an attack on the Myanmar Navy in 2019. However, there is little evidence to directly confirm Chinese involvement, as Chinese weapons may have been supplied by the UWSA, which has a closer relationship with China. The Arakan Army has targeted India's Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project but not China's projects in

6048-474: The allied Arakan Liberation Army soldiers killed over 70 villagers from the village of Byian Phyu near Sittwe due to suspected Arakan Army sympathies in the village. From late May to early June, the Arakan Army launched attacks on the remaining junta bases throughout Maungdaw Township. On 16 June, the AA urged residents of Maungdaw to evacuate the town, claiming that all junta bases in the township had either been captured or encircled, and that they would attack

6144-484: The attackers. On the same day, AA insurgents managed to conquer the front line commanding post of Rakhine State's Gwa Township -based No. 563 Light Infantry Battalion under the supervision of Light Infantry Division No. 5. According to a press release by the Arakan Army, 11 personnel, including four military engineers, were captured and 16 backhoe excavators, a car, a dump truck, and 60 mm and 80 mm mortars were confiscated. In April, around 200 AA insurgents attacked

6240-420: The border areas, border roads are being constructed. In BGB day 2017 , prime minister said that the government has undertaken a plan to construct a total of 3,167 km ring road across the borders with India and Myanmar. BGB has already bought two Mi-171E helicopters from Russia for its aviation wing at a cost of Tk. 355.10 crore. To effectively monitor the border, BGB plans to add modern technology to

6336-734: The borders. BGB has adopted a long term modernization plan named "BGB Vision 2041" in 2017. The plan intends to make BGB a well-trained, well-equipped and technologically advanced force. In short terms, BGB plans for structural and manpower expansion. A new region (equivalent to division ) will be raised in Ramu of Cox's Bazar . Three new sectors (equivalent to brigade ) will be raised at Ali Kadam of Bandarban , Naogaon and Jessore . Eight new battalions will be formed at Jhikargacha of Jessore , Meherpur , Khagrachari , Boro Mowdok of Bandarban , Gazipur , Narayanganj and Kulaura . Two riverine battalions will be raised in BGB at Nildumur of Shatkhira and Teknaf of Cox's Bazar . They are

6432-410: The causes. After 30 hours, being surrounded by Bangladesh Army tanks, the mutineers surrendered with about 6,000 of them taken under arrest, ending the mutiny. In November 2013, Bangladesh sentenced 152 mutineers from Bangladesh Rifles to death. In the aftermath of the mutiny, the Border Guard Bangladesh Act was issued in 2010 and the Bangladesh Rifles was reorganised with new recruits. The force

6528-405: The central government reached a ceasefire in November 2020. At the time of the ceasefire, Myanmar's control had been severely eroded in central and northern Rakhine State, leaving a vacuum that the Arakan Army would fill out of the next 18 months. AA rolled out many public services, like COVID-19 vaccines and local administrators in northern Rakhine State. After the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état both

6624-437: The company level. All EPR companies were based within 8 kilometres (5 mi) of the international boundary. There were two senior commissioned officers, seconded from the Pakistan Army in command of each Wing (battalion) of the EPR. In March 1971, there were 12 EPR Wings. The entire force according to CIA estimates had 10,000 enlisted personnel. However, other sources claim the EPR had 16 Wings and 13,000-16,000 personnel. At

6720-453: The control of the Ministry of Defence as an auxiliary force to the Bangladesh Army . The Ramgarh Local Battalion was established on 29 June 1795 at the city of Ramgarh , consisting of 486 personnel, known as the "Frontier Protection Force", under the command of the East India Company . Later, the force was converted into a paramilitary unit with its own name (Ramgarh Local Battalion) and uniform. At that time its primary responsibility

6816-417: The death penalty. News reports in 2018 stated the BGB had "54,000 troopers". The 2020 edition of The Military Balance put the force's personnel strength at 38,000, organized in 54 battalions and one riverine company. On 28 May 2014, during a routine patrol of the BGB in Bandarban District , along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border , Myanmar Border Police began firing on the BGB patrol. The incident took

6912-699: The fighting. Over the next week, the fighting moved closer to Thandwe and neighboring Ngapali Beach, forcing the Thandwe Airport to close. During the fighting, Burmese forces shelled Singaung village, killing between 60–120 villagers. On 15 June, the Arakan Army launched an offensive to capture neighboring Taungup , with AA forces launching attacks on the junta base near Taungup University. After months of relative peace, heavy clashes broke out outside of Kyaukphyu on 17 June after junta forces were leaving Danyawaddy naval base, near Thaing Chaung village, leading to 10 junta deaths. On 20 June, AA forces ambushed

7008-663: The first two units of BGB who will be able to operate in riverine borders and char s ( River island ). The number of personnel will be increased from 50,000 to 65.000 soon. 124 Border Out Posts (BOP) and 70 heli-support BOPs are being set up in the border areas of hilly districts along the border with Myanmar. 128 Border Sentri Posts (BSP) are being constructed between the distant BOPs. BGB members are being equipped with bulletproof vests and ballistic helmet . A Quick Response Force will be established for BGB. The force will work to supply modern arms and ammunition swiftly to border points in case of any emergency. For smooth operation in

7104-678: The future either. Most AA soldiers were originally trained at the KIA Military Academy. Since 2014, the AA has set up its own training camps in Rakhine State. According to the Myanmar Peace Monitor, the AA had more than 1,500 troops in 2014, including personnel stationed in the Rakhine State near Myanmar's border with Bangladesh. The Irrawaddy stated in September 2015 that the AA had more than 2,500 troops and 10,000 personnel in their civilian wing. In June 2020,

7200-476: The illicit trade. In 1958, the force was reorganized as the East Pakistan Rifles (EPR). At this point anti-smuggling and border protection were formally added to their duties alongside internal security. That same year Major Tufail Mohammad of the EPR died in a border skirmish with Indian forces. For his action he was awarded the highest military award of Pakistan, ' Nishan-e-Haider '. During

7296-548: The junta broke down. With the military's attention on the increasing resistance elsewhere and increasing popular support to partner with the Nation Unity Government (NUG), AA began to seek an expansion of its influence into southern Rakhine. Rhetoric from AA leader Twan Mrat Naing in June grew more provocative with military spokespeople stating that the AA was inviting conflict. Armed clashes resumed in July after

7392-587: The junta launched an airstrike against an AA base in Kayin State , killing 6 AA soldiers. AA retaliated in Maungdaw Township 12 days later killing four and capturing fourteen junta soldiers. Armed clashes broke out in northern Rakhine and western Chin State in late July and early August, including in the city of Paletwa , Chin State. By late August, travel to northern Rakhine required notifying series of checkpoints and all public transport ships ceased operating. Both

7488-582: The liberation war of Bangladesh. Naik Nur Mohammad Sheikh and Naik Munshi Abdur Rouf posthumously earned the Bir Sreshtho , which is the highest gallantry award of the nation. Birshrestha Noor Mohammad Public College and Birshreshtha Munshi Abdur Rouf Public College are educational institutions of the guards named after them. 8 earned the Bir Uttom . 40 earned the Bir Bikram and 91 earned

7584-551: The life of Border Guard Corporal Mizanur Rahman (43). The body of the slain soldier was then carried over the border by Myanmar Border Police. On 30 May upon request of the Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh, a BGB team was waiting near border pillar no. 52 for identification of the dead body which was proposed by the Myanmar side. However, to the complete surprise of the BGB, Myanmar border forces suddenly started firing on

7680-516: The military junta and government-in-exile withdrew its designation of the AA as a terrorist group. The State Administration Council (SAC) withdrew its designation on 11 March 2021, while the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH) announced a few days later that it was rescinding its terrorist designation for all insurgent groups. Nevertheless, on 30 March, the AA threatened to end the ceasefire with

7776-549: The name "Arakan Army" on its English website. The Arakan Army was founded on 10 April 2009 along with its political wing, the United League of Arakan (ULA), in what it describes as its "temporary headquarters" in Laiza , Kachin State . Following training, the group planned to return to Arakan State and fight for self-determination; however, with the outbreak of fighting in Kachin State in June 2011, they were unable to. As

7872-667: The organization wanted to have good relations with Bangladesh and work with them on the Rohingya issue. In an interview with the Arakha Media (AKK) conducted in August 2021, the Commander-in-chief of the Arakan Army stated that the political objective of the armed revolution is to restore the sovereignty of the Arakan, and there had been no bargaining in the attempt to regain the lost sovereignty and there would not be in

7968-679: The outbreak of the Bangladesh Liberation War , the EPR were the first Bengali military unit to defect from the Pakistani forces; moving to Sholashahar and the main military cantonment, while calling on all Bengali soldiers to join them. Reportedly West Pakistani officers serving with the EPR were executed by their Bengali colleagues. On 26 March, the Pakistani Army sent troops to suppress the EPR but, EPR Paramilitaries ambushed them by surprise, killing 72 Pakistani troops and wounding many but

8064-467: The region , leading some to accuse China of diplo-terrorism. However, in February 2024 it stated that it would not prevent the completion of the project. Its representatives met with K. Vanlalvena , an Indian senator who came to observe road construction. In April 2015, the AA clashed with the Myanmar Army in Kyauktaw Township of Rakhine State and Paletwa Township of Chin State . In December 2015,

8160-454: The same set of consonant phonemes as standard Burmese, though Arakanese more prominently uses /ɹ/ , which has largely merged to /j/ in standard Burmese (with some exceptions). Because Arakanese has preserved the /ɹ/ sound, the /-ɹ-/ medial (which is preserved in writing in Standard Burmese with the diacritic ြ ) is still distinguished in the following Arakanese consonant clusters: /ɡɹ- kɹ- kʰɹ- ŋɹ- pɹ- pʰɹ- bɹ- mɹ- m̥ɹ- hɹ-/ . For example,

8256-609: The town. In response to the fighting in Maungdaw, the Bangladesh Navy deployed warships around St. Martin's Island , which has been shot at several times by junta forces. The island has been the site of controversy, as, since 2019, Burmese maps have included the island as Burmese territory. On 2 June, clashes again erupted on the Thandwe-Taungup highway near Ngapali Beach, with the AA captured Gawt village during

8352-416: The training establishments. However one-third of company commanders are promotee BGB officers holding the rank of assistant director (captain equivalent). This is the second-highest rank achievable for a BGB departmental officer. A subedar usually holds the responsibility of the company second-in-command and company quartermaster. Each company has four platoons and each platoon is led by a naib subedar , with

8448-403: The waiting BGB team without any provocation resulting in the BGB team returning fire. Both sides deescalated and agreed to a cease fire and on the following day Myanmar returned the dead body of BGB Corporal Mizanur Rahman. Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had protested strongly to the Burmese ambassador over the unprovoked eruption of gunfire by Burmese border troops. On 26 August 2015,

8544-441: The word "blue," spelt ပြာ , is pronounced /pjà/ in standard Burmese, but pronounced /pɹà/ in Arakanese. Moreover, there is less voicing in Arakanese than in Standard Burmese, occurring only when the consonant is unaspirated. Unlike in Burmese, voicing never shifts from [θ] to [ð] . The vowels of Arakanese are: While Arakanese shares the same set of vowels as Burmese, Arakanese rhymes also diverge from Standard Burmese for

8640-609: Was brokered by Yōhei Sasakawa of the Nippon Foundation who acted as an intermediary. AA spokseman Khine Thu Kha stated that they agreed to it for humanitarian reasons and not because of international pressure. The group did not withdraw from fortifications held at the time of the ceasefire. A junta official told The Irrawaddy that it was the first step towards a permanent ceasefire. As of mid-December, tensions remained high with forces from both sides remaining in deployment within northern Rakhine State. AA remained part of

8736-474: Was completely seized on 6 November. It became the first district-level town to be taken by the rebels. On the morning of 13 November 2023, as part of Operation 1027, the Arakan Army attacked two Border Guard Police stations in Rathedaung Township, breaking the Rakhine state ceasefire agreement between the junta and AA. The following night, the Arakan Army launched an attack on Pauktaw , seizing

8832-596: Was formerly known as the Bangladesh Rifles ( BDR ). BGB boasts a military history spanning over two centuries. During peacetime, this force is also responsible for anti-smuggling operations, investigating cross border crime and extending governmental authority to remote and isolated areas. From time to time, BGB has also been called upon to assist the administration in the maintenance of internal law & order, relief and rehabilitation work after any kind of natural disaster. During wartime, BGB comes under

8928-693: Was involved in since Independence. The 16–19 April fighting took place around the village of Padua (known as Pyrdiwah in India), which adjoins the Indian state of Meghalaya and the Timbil area of the Bangladesh border in the Sylhet district. In that area, 6.5 kilometres of the border have remained in dispute for the past 30 years. The trigger for the clash appears to have been an attempt by Indian forces to construct

9024-638: Was notably excluded from the unilateral ceasefire announcement and an increase in clashes between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army was reported. On 4 January 2019, around 300 members of the Arakan Army launched pre-dawn attacks on four border police outposts—Kyaung Taung, Nga Myin Taw, Ka Htee La and Kone Myint—in northern Buthidaung Township . Thirteen members of the Border Guard Police (BGP) were killed and nine others were injured, whilst 40 firearms and more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition were taken by

9120-609: Was popular support for the Arakan Army in Mrauk U and a number of men from the town recently joined the group. On 21 December 2018, the Myanmar Army declared a four-month unilateral ceasefire in five conflict areas, saying it would hold talks with non-signatories of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) during the ceasefire period. However, the Western Command (stationed in Chin State and Rakhine State)

9216-584: Was to suppress insurgent activities around the Ramgarh area. During 1799, the force established its first camp at Pilkhana , where the headquarters remain to this day. The camp unit then was known as "Special Reserve Company". The Ramgarh Local Battalion was renamed the "Frontier Guards", and remained so for thirty years from 1861 to 1891. From 1891 till 1920, the Frontier Guards were re-organized, equipped with modern weapons and renamed once again as

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