Yaba, Border Guards and the Rohingya Security Narrative

A convicted BGB commander and unanswered questions about border corruption. What does this tell us about the prospects for accountability over the assault on Rohingya refugees in No Man’s Land?

An armed guard overlooking Rohingya shelters in No Man’s Land, on the Bangladesh–Myanmar border, 2018. Photo © Shafiur Rahman

Why is criminality along the Myanmar border so frequently discussed as a Rohingya security problem when the conduct of state security personnel themselves is part of the problem?

This is the question I asked in a post on X last week. Jugantor had just published its latest report on a case involving Lt. Col. Farukh Hossain Khan, the former commander of the 34th Battalion of the Cox's Bazar BGB.

Jugantor has actually published three reports on this case. The first, on 25 April 2025, exposed allegations of yaba trafficking, corruption and manipulated drug seizures involving Lt Col Farukh and other BGB personnel. The second article, on 23 September 2025, reported on his court-martial. This included allegations of witness intimidation, attempted interference in the proceedings and a missing witness. The third piece, on 1 November 2026, reported his conviction and dismissal from the army, but left many of the serious allegations raised in the earlier investigations unanswered.