In mid-April, the arrival in Dhaka of three U.S. State Department officials – two deputy assistant secretaries and the charge d’affaires in Naypyidaw, Myanmar – signaled the first signs of a critical engagement between American officialdom and the Muhmmad Yunus interim government since it took charge in August 2024. Following the August 2024 political transition, Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Yunus appears to have adopted a new geopolitical orientation, seemingly opening the country to Western interests, both political and economic. The Bangladeshi media had little to report on what precisely was discussed about Myanmar. But the involvement of the newly appointed National Security Adviser (NSA) Khalilur Rahman in the controversial issue over the repatriation of Rohingya refugees and the appointment of Sufiur Rahman, a former ambassador to Myanmar, as Chief Adviser Yunus’ special assistant in the Foreign Ministry, is by far the clearest evidence that Dhaka will play a key role in a security matrix that includes the United States and Myanmar.

Full commentary : Growing U.S. interest in Myanmar’s Rakhine State could prompt China to ramp up its backing for the military junta in Naypyidaw.