Bangladeshi authorities on Sunday refused entry to around 60 Myanmar junta armed forces personnel who tried to enter Bangladeshi waters on boats.
The junta personnel returned to Myanmar after drifting for several hours on the international boundary in the Naf River, Bangladeshi officials in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar said. The Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry has yet to comment on the incident.
They drifted for four to five hours as personnel from the Bangladesh Coast Guard and Border Guard Bangladesh prevented the boats from entering Bangladesh.
The officials in Teknaf said they took the step in line with their earlier communications with the junta asking it to take measures to stop the influx of people from Myanmar fleeing fighting between regime forces and the ethnic Arakan Army (AA) in Rakhine State.
The Bangladesh Coast Guard intercepted the trawlers carrying the junta personnel on Sunday in the Teknaf-Myanmar transit ghat near Jaliapara, Teknaf Municipality.
Bangladeshi authorities have stepped up patrols around the Naf River since May to prevent unauthorized entry.
Lieutenant Colonel Md Mohammad Uddin Ahmed, commanding officer of Teknaf-2 Battalion of Border Guard Bangladesh, also declined to comment on the decision to push the Myanmar forces back.
Earlier, however, he said authorities had stepped up patrols along the border considering the worsening situation on the Myanmar side.
Sunday’s incident took place just days after 140 Myanmar Border Guard Force members and soldiers crossed into Bangladesh last week after being defeated by the Arakan Army in northern Rakhine State.
Bangladeshi officials said many of those Myanmar personnel were “pushed back” after a short interrogation.
In June, the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry said more than 752 junta personnel and their families had been handed over since mid-February, despite the lack of an extradition treaty.
In February, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan announced a closed-border policy, which has since been breached numerous times.
Bangladeshi authorities have in the last few weeks also refused entry to Rohingya civilians fleeing violence in Rakhine.
source : irrawaddy