Firing on Bangladesh-Myanmar border: Myanmar has not yet given the body of slain BGB Naik Subedar

The Dhaka Times Desk Another exchange of fire occurred between the BGB and the Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP) at the Naikshyongchari border in Bandarban district on Friday afternoon. Naik Subedar of BGB died in firing by BGP on Wednesday.

The exchange of fire between the two sides started at around 2.30 pm yesterday and lasted till 5.30 pm. BGB said, the body of Naik Subedar Md. Mizanur Rahman, who was shot dead by the border guards of Myanmar, was not returned, but the BGP members fired again without provocation yesterday. The firing stopped around 5:30, but the two sides are still facing each other. In such a situation panic has arisen among the public in the tense area of Naikshyongchari. Many have already left their homes and taken shelter elsewhere. It is known that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has intensified diplomatic activities to reduce the tension by strongly condemning the incident of exchange of fire.

It is known that when a group of BGB members reached the junction of Dauchhari and Techari canals on a regular patrol from the recently established Pinechari BOP camp, the BGP started firing at them from the other side of Myanmar. At that time Naik Subedar Mizanur Rahman on duty of BGB was shot and died on the spot. At that time, the Border Guard Police of Myanmar violated the United Nations Convention Law and infiltrated the zero point area of the Bangladesh border and took away the body of Mizanur Rahman along with weapons and ammunition.

It is known that there was a flag meeting on Friday at the invitation of Naikshyongchari 31 BGB Battalion to return the body of Mizanur Rahman, but the flag meeting was not fruitful due to the reluctance of the Myanmar Border Guard Force. Instead, members of Myanmar's border guard force fired on BGB members who were waiting for Mizanur Rahman's body at Pinechhari No. 52 border pillar area of Naikshyongchari border. At this time BGB also fired back. Extreme tension prevails across the 188 km Bangladesh-Myanmar border.

It is reported that a meeting between the two countries at the sector commander level regarding control of the border situation is scheduled to be held on June 3 in Maungdoo, Rakhine State, Myanmar.

It should be noted that in March 2012, Myanmar increased the number of troops on its territory in 3 borders, including the mountainous districts of Bandarban and Cox's Bazar, based on the judgment of the maritime boundary dispute case between Bangladesh and Myanmar. At that time, such tension arose on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.