177 to be sent back in first week of April

A total of 177 persons comprising members of Myanmar's Border Guard Police (BGP) and customs officials who have taken shelter in Bangladesh will be sent back. Preparations are on to send that back to Myanmar in the first week of next month, April, by a navy vessel.

Foreign ministry officials informed Prothom Alo of the matter yesterday, Thursday.

Foreign ministry sources said that Myanmar had expressed its desire to take these 177 back on 1 April. But as the country has not been able to complete certain paperwork and formalities, as well as certain technical matters, the date has been postponed. Bangladesh's foreign ministry officials now expect that they will be sent back in the first week of April.

Fierce fighting broke out last month in the Rakhine state between the armed Arakan Army and the junta forces. As a result of the clashes, from 11 March to a few days following, 172 BGP members and 3 customs officers fled into Bangladesh. It has not been possible to send them back as yet.

The BGP members and customs officials who had fled into Bangladesh last month were all sent back within a week. Why has it not been possible to send them back this time even though two weeks have passed? In reply, the concerned officials told this correspondent that sending back the 177 persons has been delayed due to certain complicated procedures on the part of Myanmar. This time too, as in the last time, they will be sent back by a navy vessel. It is taking time to send them back as Myanmar is delaying in conveying certain information.

Earlier, for four days from 4 February, a total of 330 persons including members of Myanmar security forces, customs officials and civilians had taken shelter in Bangladesh. They had entered Bangladesh through Rahamater Bil along the Ukhia border, Teknaf's Hoaikang and the Ghumdhum border at Naikhangchhari in Bandarban. On 15 February they were all sent back by a naval vessel from the navy jetty in Ukhia.

This time a different sort of Armed Forces Day was held in Myanmar. Normally the parade is held during the day, but this time on Wednesday it was held after sunset. The excuse was the heighted temperature during the day due to the effect of El Nino.

Pictures on various X (formerly Twitter) handles and also in the Myanmar media show a higher number of women troops than before in the march past. There was a significant drop in the number of male troops in the march past this time as many of them were busy fighting the anti-junta forces.

There was also negligible weaponry visible in the march past. Last year there had been tanks, missile launchers and all sorts of weaponry in the march past. This time there were only 2 Sukhoi Su-30 and one MIG-29 flying overhead. Most significantly, normally the chief of armed forces inspects the parade. This time Myanmar's military ruler senior general Min Aung Hlaing did not inspect the parade. He merely delivered a speech from the podium.