Dhaka, May 9 -- The idea of a safe zone in Rakhine State to accommodate returning Rohingya refugees has been supported by the interim government of Bangladesh. A safe zone can be established under the United Nations flag or by a mutual agreement between Bangladesh and Myanmar. The rise of the Arakan Army has also changed the dynamics of the equation. With much of Rakhine State now falling under the control of the Arakan Army, Bangladesh's border with Myanmar is now effectively under the control of a non-state armed group. The Arakan Army is also aligned with Myanmar's anti-junta government-in-exile called the National Unity Government of Myanmar (NUG).

The Arakan Army is a Rakhine Buddhist nationalist militia which seeks to set up a one-...