Bangladesh foreign ministry summoned Myanmar ambassador in Dhaka Aung Kyaw Moe and handed over a strong protest note regarding recent casualty along Bangladesh’s Bandarban border. And this is the fourth time the Myanmar ambassador has been summoned by the ministry since mid-August for violation of land and airspace by Myanmar on the border in Bandarban’s Naikhongchhari while mortar shells have been landed in Bangladesh territory from the neighboring country in several incidents, said a foreign ministry statement on Sunday.
The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Coastguard remain on high alert in the border area to ward off any impact of violence in Rakhine state. A sense of insecurity grips the people living along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border areas due to repeated incidents of firing mortar shells into Bangladesh territory by the Myanmar Armed Forces. In such latest incident on Friday night, a 28-year-old Rohingya man named Mohammad Iqbal was killed and eight others were injured as five mortar shells fired from Myanmar exploded at a Rohingya camp on no-man’s-land near Tumbru bazar in Bandarban’s Naikhongchhari upazila. Earlier, a Bangladeshi youth was injured after a land mine exploded along the Naikhongchhari border area in Bandarban.
We hope the United Nations and the
international community will come
forward and take necessary measures
to stop such disturbance
The Myanmar Ambassador acknowledged of the firing of multiple mortar shells into Bangladesh territory, but claimed that their insurgent groups were firing heavy artillery and mortars, some of which landed inside Bangladesh territory. In this connection, the foreign ministry reiterated the zero tolerance policy of the Government of Bangladesh on terrorism and non-harboring of any elements hostile to the security of the neighbouring countries.
Myanmar has been cautioned that the ongoing situation is creating an atmosphere of fear among the innocent people living in the bordering areas with Myanmar. Bangladesh urged Myanmar to refrain from activities that inflict damage to the life and livelihood of the people of the area. Bangladesh also demanded that Myanmar took immediate steps to stop reckless military actions near the border and ensure that no ammunition from Myanmar falls inside the Bangladesh territory.
Bangladesh has already made its stand clear that the country wants to solve issues with Myanmar peacefully. So, the country hope that Myanmar would realise their mistake and refrain from doing anything in future that impedes bilateral relations.
Myanmar Armed Forces continued firing of multiple mortar shells into Bangladesh territory deliberately in order to create unrest along the border. As Bangladesh does not want conflict, its efforts are underway to find a peaceful solution with Myanmar. And the country will do everything, if required it will take it to the United Nations (UN).
The Bangladesh government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina never wants war but it wants peaceful solution. Bangladesh is trying bilaterally and also multilaterally to solve the issue. We hope the United Nations and the international community will come forward and take necessary measures to stop such disturbance.
