Rohingyas cross Naf River along terrains difficult to patrol: BGB DG

Mamunur Rashid, Faehaq Iqbal from Cox's Bazar
Maj Gen Abul Hossain Director General Border Guard Bangladesh on Friday said some Rohingyas from Myanmar have intruded into Bangladesh through the borders along the Naf river in the last seven days.
The BGB DG admitted it while briefing journalists at Maloncho Rest House in Teknaf Land Port in Cox's Bazar around noon.
He held the press conference after visiting several border points along Ukhiya and Teknaf upazilas in Cox's Bazar.
"We have already deployed additional BGB men on the borders," he said and added, "They are on alert to prevent entry of Rohingyas in the country."
"There is no barbed-wire fence along the 63-kilometre Bangladesh-Myanmar border along Naf river making it easy for Rohingyas to enter Bangladesh illegally," he added.
Apart from this, many Rohingyas and Bangladeshis are relatives and there are impassable areas along the border where BGB men cannot enter, and through these passages the Rohingyas enter Bangladesh, the DG said.
Locals said phone communication among Rohingyas on both sides of the border has made the border guards' job of preventing trespassing harder. Every day, hundreds of Rohingyas are trespassing into Bangladesh territory.
They said they learnt that the Myanmar military conducted raids in six villages and Rohingyas were fleeing from those. They are entering Bangladesh illegally by crossing the river with the help of the local fishermen and human traffickers.
Bangladesh shares with Myanmar a 272-km border that falls in Bandarban and Cox's Bazar. Of this, a 52-km stretch is in the Naf river.
Shafiul Alam, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Teknaf, said, "Now the task of checking trespass by Rohingyas has become very challenging ... BGB members have stepped up vigilance on the border."
An adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has recommended that the United Nations should clamp down international sanction on Myanmar to address the recent Rohingya crisis, reports BBC Bangla on Friday.
"There is no alternative to make the Myanmar government realise the gravity of the situation," said political adviser to the Bangladesh premier, HT Imam, during an interview with BBC Bangla, Probaho.
Adviser Imam drew reference to similar events in the past to substantiate his comment about issuing international sanctions on Myanmar.
"The UN issued sanctions on Iran for nuclear weapons. Sanctions were issued on Syria, Iraq and other countries as well. Nothing but similar international pressure can make the Myanmar government reconsider their actions towards the Rohingya issue," he said.