Bengalis of Arakan Stand in Solidarity with Bangladesh's Condemnation of Myanmar In the ICJ Case

News January 24, 2026

Bangladesh has strongly condemned the submission made by Myanmar at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

In its statement on January 23, Bangladesh asserts that Myanmar's use of the term "Bengali" to refer to the Rohingya (Muslims) is intended solely to portray them as illegal immigrants and to reinforce the narrative that they pose a threat to internal security.

This approach, Bangladesh claims, is merely an attempt to justify the crimes against humanity committed in 2016–2017 by labeling them as "clearance operations" or counter-terrorism measures, while diverting global attention.

On July 6, 2023, during a press briefing by Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the claim was made that "approximately 5.5 million Bangladeshi citizens took refuge in Arakan (Rakhine) during Bangladesh's War of Independence." Bangladesh formally rejected this allegation on July 18, 2023.

Furthermore, this rejection by Bangladesh has also been supported by well-known "Bengalis" (or Bengali-origin individuals from Rakhine State) who are demanding citizenship rights. The most prominent among them are Tun Khin, Wai Wai Nu, and Thun Khin.

This serves as an example in the Myanmar–Bangladesh dispute where Bengalis from Arakan (Rakhine) are standing on the side of Bangladesh rather than showing loyalty to Myanmar.