Special Correspondent :
Bangladesh offered to Myanmar government to take back their Border Guard Police (BGP) and army personnel who fled to Bangladesh by air, but Myanmar authority proposed to return their soldiers by sea.
Meanwhile, a total of 330 Myanmar BGP members, army personnel and immigration officials have entered Bangladesh in the last five days as the conflict between the rebel forces and military in the neighbouring country drags on.
As a result, total import and export activities with Myanmar through the Teknaf land port have come to a complete halt due to the intense fighting between the Myanmar Junta forces and the Arakan Army in Rakhine state.
Apart from it, the authority concerned suspended the movement of tourist ships on Teknaf-Saint Martin’s island route for indefinite period from February 10 considering the safety of the people.
However, the authorities concerned have relocated a total of 101 BGP personnel from the Ghumdhum bordering area in Naikhongchhari to Hnila in Teknaf in a view to repatriate them easily.
Most of them are members of border guard, army and other agencies of the neighbouring country.
Amid intense firings along the Bangladesh border, they fled from the Myanmar territory and intruded into Bangladesh through the Ghumdhum border for shelter in the last few days.
According to multiple sources, some officials of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) confirmed the development and said the Myanmar nationals were taken from the Tumbru Government Primary School to Hnila in the afternoon.
A total of 228 Myanmar security personnel took shelter in the primary school.
According to the BGB, they were shifted to Teknaf to facilitate a convenient way for their return home.
An inter-ministerial meeting in Dhaka proposed their return through the sea route.
They were taken to Teknaf as it is easier to send them back through the sea route from the Teknaf point. The foreign ministry is taking care of the entire process.
Locals at Naya Para in Ghumdhum said three BGB trucks went to the Tumbru school and took 101 of the Myanmar security personnel to Hnila. “It wouldn’t be wise to consider sheltering the BGP members and Rohingyas in same way.
Our prime consideration is to repatriate the sheltered BGP members fast and smoothly to their country. Air or sea route is not important and nor a prerequisite.
Bangladesh has offered to send them by air considering their speedy repatriation,” Sehli Sabrin, Director General of the public diplomacy branch of the ministry of Foreign Affairs told reporters during the weekly media briefing on Thursday.
She also said that a few days ago Myanmar authority had withdrawn their army from India by air so Bangladesh has offered to take them back by air.
Bangladesh wants their repatriation as soon as possible, she said adding that there is no opportunity to waste time regarding the issue.
“They will be sent back soon, either by sea or by air. But the issue is most important to send the Myanmar’s forces safely,” Sehli Sabrin said in reply to a query.
There is no question of having any international or political reasons in providing shelter to the border guards of Myanmar in Bangladesh, she said adding that recently, BGP members of Myanmar took refuge in India but they have returned to their country from India. She also said that they have taken temporary shelter in Bangladesh fearing danger as members of a regular force of Myanmar.
However, from day one, the Myanmar government has expressed its desire to take back their sheltered soldiers, she added. However, Myanmar expressed reluctance to accept the repatriation of its citizens by air. Instead, Myanmar prefers to repatriate its people by sea in this situation.
A total of 330 Myanmar citizens have entered Bangladesh in the last five days as the conflict between the rebel forces and military in the neighbouring country drags on.
The shelter seekers from Myanmar include members of its Border Guard Police (BGP), army, customs and civilians, according to officials at BGB headquarters.
Earlier on Wednesday, 64 people from Myanmar entered through the border in Cox’s Bazar’s Ulubuniya area for refuge after being attacked by rebels.
On 5 February, authorities relocated 180 Rohingyas of 16 families from Tumbru to Kutupalong transit camp in Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya.
Rebel factions in Arakan state have engaged in clashes with Myanmar’s military junta since February 3, primarily over the control of a border camp.
Persistent gunfire, mortar shells, and rocket explosions have marked the ongoing conflict.
Bangladeshis living in the border area have reported intense fighting, and there are concerns about the use of army helicopters strafing rebel fighters, heightening worries of substantial casualties.
Meanwhile, two people were killed inside the Bangladesh border on 5 February after heavy mortar shells reportedly fired from Myanmar landed and exploded inside the Ghumdum border in Bandarban.
Bangladesh’s border with Myanmar stretches 271.0 kilometres (168.4 miles), from the tri-point with India in the north to the Bay of Bengal in the south.
Bangladesh played a critical role in sheltering over a million Muslim minority Rohingyas who fled their home in Rakhine and took refuge in Bangladesh to evade persecution, particularly after a 2017 army crackdown but the current crisis visibly has little to do with the Rohingyas.
Bangladesh-Myanmar cross-border trade halts as conflict escalates in Rakhine Meanwhile, cross-border export-import trade between Bangladesh and Myanmar through the Teknaf land port suspended as conflict escalates between the Myanmar Junta forces and the Arakan Army in Rakhine state.
According to sources, cross-border trade activities have been dwindling since December last year after the latest round of conflict began on 13 November. But all trade activities have now come to a complete halt amid intense fighting.