Following a letter of protest from the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Myanmar has removed the army camps that it had set up near Bangladesh border, violating the international border rules.
“Following our note of protest, Myanmar removed the camps and now the situation across the border is calm and normal,” Lt Col Md Shafiqur Rahman of 31 BGB Battalion told the Dhaka Tribune over phone yesterday.
BGB Director General Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed also confirmed the matter.
Shafiqur said although Myanmar army had expressed need to put up the tents to handle conflict with Rohingyas, following the protest they had removed them.
According to the BGB, Myanmar army established four camps at Saludong in Myanmar, approximately 300 yards from the zero line, on January 11. The place is near Ashartoli in Naikkhangchhari.
A total of 24 members of the Myanmar army were deployed at each camp.
On January 21, the BGB Operation Department informed the home ministry about the development through a letter.
The letter said Myanmar army’s move was a clear violation of the international law and breach of the Bangladesh-Myanmar Border Agreement 1980.
The presence of army near the border is a clear threat to the peace-loving border population, BGB officials observed.
Four camps are mentioned in the copy of the letter preserved by the Dhaka Tribune. However, Shafiqur mentioned of one camp in his statement yesterday.
Earlier, BGB had removed around 40 land mines from areas close to Myanmar border pillar 44 at Kachubunia in Naikhangchari of Bandarban district.
According to BGB officials, Myanmar border force Rakapha planted the mines along the zero point of the border, violating international rules.
“We removed around 40 land mines, and since then their tendency to planting of land mines have decreased,” Shafiqur said.
Rakapha had planted the mines fearing attacks by Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO), a terrorist group, he said.
According to BGB, a captain of engineering core of the Myanmar army along with three others was kidnapped in 2012.
Rakhapa alleged that a terrorist group from Bangladesh had kidnapped them. The BGB, however, denied the allegation.
“We have been searching for last one year but we did not find any such organisation in Bangladesh,” the commanding officer said.
Asked about the border situation near Myanmar, Kamal Uddin Ahmed, an additional secretary of the political wing of the home ministry, said there was no major problem along the border.
Any kind of problem arising on the border is solved through flag meetings, he added.
