Bangladesh Defence Journal

Bangladesh Defence Journal Non-Partisan Defence, Geo-Politics and Strategy Oriented Journal. Visit: https://www.defencejournalbd.com to learn more.

A nonpartisan institution focused on defense, international relations, trade, finance, technology, energy and geostrategy, Bangladesh Defence Journal is recognized as the only Defence oriented journal in Bangladesh.

SITUATION REPORT:India has fenced 55 km of its 398-km Myanmar border in Manipur, with further fencing planned through 20...
06/09/2026

SITUATION REPORT:

India has fenced 55 km of its 398-km Myanmar border in Manipur, with further fencing planned through 2028. At the same time, the Tatmadaw has regained control of the key Kalay–Khampat–Tamu corridor opposite Moreh, strengthening its position along this section of the frontier.

The developments could have wider security implications for Northeast India. If Tatmadaw control expands along more of the India–Myanmar frontier while India continues expanding its fencing and surveillance network, cross-border movement and operating space for Northeast Indian militant groups could become increasingly restricted.

Read the full SITREP: https://defencejournalbd.com/geopolitics-security/situation-report-sitrep/india-myanmar-border-fencing-tatmadaw-gains/

The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) began as a fight for Naga sovereignty. Today, the bigger story is its ...
05/09/2026

The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) began as a fight for Naga sovereignty. Today, the bigger story is its fragmentation. From the Shillong Accord in 1975 to the formation of the NSCN in 1980 and its major split into NSCN-IM and NSCN-K in 1988, the movement has changed dramatically.

Today, the NSCN is no longer one united group. Different factions have different leaders, strategies, and views on negotiations with India and Myanmar. Some support peace talks, while others continue to push for armed resistance.

The emergence of the Eastern Flank in 2026 shows that divisions are growing even within NSCN-IM. At the same time, factions continue to operate across Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Myanmar, using cross-border networks and different sources of funding. The verdict is that it has weakened the insurgency because of the recent understanding reached between Modi and Min Aung Hlaing

Read the full analysis: https://defencejournalbd.com/geopolitics-security/south-asia/understanding-naga-nationalism-from-the-shillong-accord-to-the-fragmentation-of-the-nscn/

SITUATION REPORT:Tatmadaw airstrikes have intensified across Thandwe Township in southern Rakhine, forcing civilians to ...
31/08/2026

SITUATION REPORT:

Tatmadaw airstrikes have intensified across Thandwe Township in southern Rakhine, forcing civilians to flee toward Taungup and Ramree or seek shelter in nearby forests. Recent attacks have caused civilian casualties, destroyed homes and infrastructure, and disrupted markets, transport, and livelihoods.

Thandwe’s strategic importance extends beyond southern Rakhine, as routes through the Rakhine Yoma connect the area with Myanmar’s interior and the wider conflict in Ayeyarwady Region. The AA’s reported eastward expansion has increased the township’s importance as a strategic corridor, while continued Tatmadaw air operations are placing further pressure on civilians and AA-held territory.

Read the full SITREP: https://defencejournalbd.com/geopolitics-security/situation-report-sitrep/thandwe-faces-intensifying-tatmadaw-air-campaign/

The confrontation between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran has evolved into economic coercion, as epit...
31/08/2026

The confrontation between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran has evolved into economic coercion, as epitomized by United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's talk of 'Economic D-Day'. Such a strategy directly undercuts the Islamic Republic's primary objective of making the war economically untenable on a global scale, so that pressure reflects back on Washington.

A pre-emptive American strike targeting Larak Island has removed any ambiguity regarding whether or not the confrontation is still ongoing, and Iranian forces have thus retaliated with missile and drone strikes against Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, along with damage inflicted on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

Facing economic implosion down the line, the Islamic Republic's leadership is doubling down on projecting a perception of strength, while attempting to continue horizontal escalation in response to kinetic action by the United States.

Get the full rundown in our explainer.

SITUATION REPORT:Tatmadaw forces have intensified their offensive in Myaing Township, Magway Region, advancing toward th...
25/08/2026

SITUATION REPORT:

Tatmadaw forces have intensified their offensive in Myaing Township, Magway Region, advancing toward the Kyauk Khwet oil field amid airstrikes, artillery fire, and resistance attacks. The offensive seeks to reclaim oil-producing areas that have remained under resistance control since 2024.

Fighting around Kyauk Khwet’s Well 2 remained ongoing as resistance forces attempted to slow the military advance. Resistance groups active in the wider Myaing–Pauk oil field area include the Anyar Tamar coalition, Magway PDF, Myaing PDF, ALDF, and Earthquake PDF.

The broader operation has also resulted in civilian deaths, injuries, and the destruction of hundreds of homes. The oilfields hold strategic importance for the Tatmadaw, potentially providing valuable revenue and foreign currency at a time of severe economic and financial crisis.

Read the full SITREP: https://defencejournalbd.com/geopolitics-security/situation-report-sitrep/tatmadaw-offensive-kyauk-khwet-oil-field-myaing/

SITUATION REPORT:Rohingya communities in Rakhine State are increasingly trapped between forced recruitment by the Tatmad...
21/08/2026

SITUATION REPORT:

Rohingya communities in Rakhine State are increasingly trapped between forced recruitment by the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army (AA). In Sittwe Township, the Tatmadaw has reportedly ordered communities to provide 20 men each month for military service, while the AA faces allegations of forcibly recruiting Rohingya and other minorities, including women and minors.

For a population already displaced and denied citizenship, refusing either side’s demands can bring detention, movement restrictions, forced labor, or financial penalties, leaving Rohingya civilians caught between two armed actors competing for manpower.

Read the full SITREP: https://defencejournalbd.com/geopolitics-security/situation-report-sitrep/rohingyas-trapped-between-the-tatmadaw-and-the-arakan-armys-forced-conscription/

The course of the war in Arakan in July 2026 appeared to have died down for the most part along its most consequential f...
18/08/2026

The course of the war in Arakan in July 2026 appeared to have died down for the most part along its most consequential fronts at Sittwe and Kyaukphyu. Apart from a small counterattack in Kyaukphyu and a heavy artillery barrage against mobile Arakan Army units. Tatmadaw - Lay airstrikes targeting southern Arakan appear to have been focused around frustrating the Arakan Army's campaign in Ayeyarwady Region.

Strikes in Maungdaw coinciding with armed activity by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) have led to allegations of collusion with the Tatmadaw. This rhetoric has explosive potential in the Rohingya refugee camps of Bangladesh, where the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO) is already accused of collusion with the Arakan Army.

Read the full OSINT report: https://defencejournalbd.com/open-source-intelligence/battlefield-analysis/arakan-osint-situation-brief-july-2026/

SITUATION REPORT:The Tatmadaw is intensifying efforts to keep the Chindwin River open as a key supply route to northern ...
17/08/2026

SITUATION REPORT:

The Tatmadaw is intensifying efforts to keep the Chindwin River open as a key supply route to northern Myanmar. A military flotilla carrying cargo and accompanied by fighter jets and an Mi-35 attack helicopter moved upriver through Phaungbyin Township on 14 August, with reported airstrikes and heavy weapons fire forcing more than 10,000 residents to flee.

The operation highlights the growing strategic importance of the Chindwin, where KIA and PDF forces have repeatedly disrupted military movements. The corridor also connects to the Kalewa-Tamu route and India's wider connectivity plans, creating a sharp contrast between regional infrastructure projects and the ongoing conflict, airstrikes, and civilian displacement along the same strategic corridor.

Read the full SITREP: https://defencejournalbd.com/geopolitics-security/situation-report-sitrep/tatmadaw-chindwin-corridor-mass-displacement/

SITUATION REPORT:What is happening around the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar is becoming increasingly difficult to unders...
13/08/2026

SITUATION REPORT:

What is happening around the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar is becoming increasingly difficult to understand as a series of isolated kidnapping cases. From ransom-driven abductions and the targeting of children to human trafficking, drug networks and armed-group rivalry, a much wider criminal ecosystem appears to be taking shape around the camps.

The geography of Teknaf, with its hills, forests, coastline and proximity to the Naf River, creates opportunities for concealment and cross-border movement. At the same time, poverty, overcrowding and limited security make vulnerable communities easier targets.

The report examines the emerging links between kidnapping, trafficking, drugs, armed-group competition and developments in Rakhine State and why Bangladesh needs to look beyond individual incidents to understand the networks behind them.

Read the full SITREP: https://defencejournalbd.com/geopolitics-security/situation-report-sitrep/rising-kidnappings-in-rohingya-camps-and-funding-insurgency/

SITUATION REPORT:The Tatmadaw is seeking to turn recent territorial gains in Chin State into lasting control through aid...
11/08/2026

SITUATION REPORT:

The Tatmadaw is seeking to turn recent territorial gains in Chin State into lasting control through aid deliveries, infrastructure repairs and the restoration of government services. In Falam, reconstruction efforts include the repair of the Ngasitsva Hydropower Plant, while officials and civil servants are being brought back to resume administration.

The military’s gains in northern Chin have also increased pressure on the Arakan Army (AA), whose territorial links through southern Chin and Paletwa remain strategically important. The contest has wider implications for India, particularly the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, which runs through territory affected by the conflict.

Read the full SITREP: https://defencejournalbd.com/geopolitics-security/situation-report-sitrep/tatmadaw-chin-state-offensive/

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