Bangladesh recalls ambassador from Myanmar
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Phyo (NP News) - June 1
A Bangladeshi foreign ministry official stated on Thursday (May 29) that Bangladesh has recalled its ambassador to Myanmar.
Monowar Hossain, who had been stationed in Naypyidaw since mid-2023, was instructed to return to Dhaka immediately. The official described the move as an "admini strative decision" and did not provide further details.
According to Bangladeshi media outlet Bangla News 24, the order came amid rising diplomatic tensions between Myanmar and Bangladesh.
According to diplomatic sources, the move came in response to a protest from Myanmar government over alleged contacts between Bangladeshi officials and the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic armed group active in Rakhine State.
The issue reportedly escalated after Bangladesh’s National Security Adviser, Major General (Retd.) Khalilur Rahman, acknowledged the communication with the AA.
Rahman also said that Dhaka remains engaged with the Myanmar government to pursue a long-term solution to the Bengali crisis. This includes considering support for a proposed UN-led humanitarian corridor in Rakhine State.
In response, Myanmar’s ruling State Administration Council, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, is said to have sent a formal diplomatic note to Bangladesh expressing its dissatisfaction.
There have also been unconfirmed reports that the Myanmar government declared the Bangladeshi ambassador ‘persona non grata’. However, Bangladesh’s chief adviser, Muhammad Yunus, dismissed these claims as false.
The report further noted that earlier this month, the Bangladeshi government also recalled Brigadier General Aftab Hossain, who had been serving as defence attaché at the Bangladeshi embassy in Yangon.