A total of 330 Myanmar personnel, who crossed the border and took refuge in Bangladesh during the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, were sent back to their country on Thursday amid tight security.
The 330 Myanmar nationals, including 302 Border Guard Police (BGP) members, four BGP family members, two army personnel, 18 immigration personnel and four civilians, were escorted by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and handed over to the BGP, a BGB press release said.
They boarded a ship at the Bangladesh Navy’s jetty in Inani, Cox’s Bazar around 11am following a handover ceremony.
BGB Director General (DG) Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui and Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh U Aung Kyaw Moe were present during the handover ceremony.
Earlier, a delegation from Myanmar, led by Ambassador Aung Kyaw Moe, arrived at the Naval jetty ghat in Inani, Cox’s Bazar district, on Thursday, aboard a speedboat at 9:50 am, to repatriate 330 members of the Myanmar personnel and others who had sought refuge in Bangladesh.
Clashes have been taking place between Myanmar border force, BGP, and the insurgent group Arakan Army across the Naikhongchhari border since February 2. The Arakan Army has reportedly taken over Tumbru right camps and Dhekibunia border outposts from the BGP.
The Myanmar officials started crossing border since February 4 amid heavy fighting.
Meanwhile, BGB chief said they have strengthened patrolling at the border. BGB remains on high alert and is observing the border situation round-the-clock.
Major General Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui warned that currently, BGB controls the border situation entirely and whatever situation arises, not a single Myanmar citizen will be allowed to enter Bangladesh territory.
However, the impact of Myanmar’s internal conflict felt in the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, as a Bangladeshi woman and a Rohingya man were killed in Bangladesh territory as a mortar shell fell on a house at Jalpaitali village in Ghumdhum union of Naikhongchhari on the night of February 4.
FI/NY
