A tragic history of the Rohingya nation

Explore the history behind the Rohingya crisis, the rise of Buddhist and Hindu nationalism in South Asia, and why Bangladesh must rethink its strategy for national security.

A he New Generation Must Remember

The new generation often grows up unaware of vital history. One glaring example is the Rohingya crisis. Many young people today cannot even explain how or why the massive 2016–17 Rohingya influx into Bangladesh began. To understand the present geopolitical threats surrounding Bangladesh, we must revisit that history.

Ashin Wirathu: The Face of Buddhist Extremism

The man in the image is Ashin Wirathu, a radical Buddhist monk from Myanmar. He is widely known as the mastermind behind the anti-Rohingya campaign. Wirathu leads a movement called 969 Movement, a Buddhist nationalist organization. Released from prison in 2010, Wirathu became aggressively active, using platforms like YouTube and Facebook to spread anti-Muslim rhetoric.

By 2012, Buddhist mobs—driven by his hateful speeches—began attacking Muslim communities in Rakhine state. Wirathu’s message was clear: the Rohingya must leave Myanmar. He incited fears by falsely claiming that Rohingyas were forcibly converting Buddhist women and outnumbering Buddhists due to high birth rates.

His inflammatory propaganda received widespread support from Myanmar’s Buddhist population. One of his key demands was to deny citizenship to Rohingya Muslims, further isolating the community.

The Genocide Begins: 2016–2017 Rohingya Massacre

As Wirathu’s influence grew, so did violence. In 2016, mass killings of Rohingya Muslims began. By 2017, the crisis peaked—entire villages were burned, families were murdered, and over 800,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh. What began as hate speech ended in ethnic cleansing.

The Rise of Religious Nationalism Across South Asia

This anti-Muslim ideology is not limited to Myanmar. Beginning in 2010, religious nationalism surged across South Asia:

India: The Hindu nationalist organization RSS began mobilizing support. In 2014, Narendra Modi, backed by RSS, came to power. Secularism in India started to fade, replaced by aggressive Hindutva ideology.

Sri Lanka: The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), a radical Buddhist group, instigated anti-Muslim riots in 2014 and 2018. Following the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, mobs burned mosques, forced Muslim ministers to resign, and spread fear across the community.

RSS–969–BBS: The Anti-Muslim Alliance Around Bangladesh

Look at the map. Bangladesh is surrounded by an anti-Muslim nationalist triangle:

RSS in India

969 Movement in Myanmar

BBS in Sri Lanka

All three have one shared goal: a Muslim-free Indian subcontinent. And in the middle of this hostile alliance lies Bangladesh—a Muslim-majority, secular country.

This raises an important question: India, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka—once secular—could not stop the rise of religious nationalism. Can a secular Bangladesh survive in such an environment?

Bangladesh Must Rethink Its Strategy on Rakhine

This is not just a refugee issue—it’s a matter of national security. Bangladesh must adopt a new strategy on Rakhine. Instead of treating the Rohingyas as burdens, we should explore how they can be strategic allies. Training and supporting them to return and resist in Rakhine could protect our borders in the long term.

If we continue to ignore the geopolitical realities, Bangladesh risks fragmentation, as nationalist forces tighten their grip on our borders.

Conclusion: Defensive or Offensive?

Some may have dismissed these warnings in the past. But history speaks for itself. If we analyze the actions of RSS–969–BBS, we can clearly see a coordinated anti-Muslim agenda. In this scenario, Bangladesh must take offensive measures for self-preservation.Neutrality is no longer an option.

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