Tension at the border: What Dhaka told the Myanmar Ambassador

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Dhaka on Tuesday described what’s happening along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border as “completely unacceptable.”

“This is completely unacceptable. Myanmar’s envoy was summoned today and Bangladesh lodged its strong protest,” Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He said the Myanmar envoy would convey Bangladesh’s concerns and protest to his government.

The Foreign Minister said Bangladeshis are being affected due to Myanmar’s internal conflicts and their mortar shells are coming into Bangladesh territory.

Two people, including a woman, were killed in reported shelling on a house at Jolpaitoli under Ghumdum union of Naikhongchhari upazila in Bandarban district on Monday.

One of the deceased was identified as Hosne Ara, 50, wife of Badsha Mia while the identity of the other could not be known immediately.

Myanmar reached out to Bangladesh to take back members of Border Guard Police (BGP) who entered Bangladesh territory to save themselves amid conflicts there with the Arakan Army.

The Foreign Minister said so far (Tuesday morning), 229 BGP members and army personnel have taken shelter in Bangladesh and some of them are injured.

The injured BGP members were taken to Chattogram after providing them primary treatment in Cox’s Bazar, he said.

When Bangladesh is putting its efforts to repatriate the Rohingyas to Myanmar, such incidents are not acceptable, said the Foreign Minister.

Earlier this morning, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh, Aung Kyaw Moe, and strongly protested the incidents along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.

Director General (Myanmar wing) at the Foreign Ministry, Miah Md. Mainul Kabir, handed over the protest note to Myanmar Ambassador during a meeting at the state guest House Padma. (UNB)