330 Myanmar BGP members, others to being sent back today

A total of 330 members of Myanmar government forces including Border Guard Police (BGP) and customs officials, who have taken shelter in Bangladesh, will be handed over to the Myanmar authorities on Thursday, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) said.

Meanwhile, the sound of firing has reduced along Bandarban's Naikhongchhari border and Cox’s Bazar’s Ukhiya and Teknaf borders on Wednesday.

Locals also spotted three bodies floating along the Naikhongchhari border, but those could not be retrieved.

Clashes have been taking place between Myanmar’s frontier force, Border Guard Police (BGP), and the insurgent group Arakan Army across the Naikhongchhari border since 2 February.

The Arakan Army has reportedly taken over Tumbru right camps and Dhekibunia border outposts from the BGP. Intermittent firing and shelling have been going on since Sunday night.

Amid the clashes in Myanmar, two people were killed in Bangladesh territory as a mortar shell fell on the kitchen of a house at Jalpaitali village in Ghumdhum union of Naikhongchhari on the night of 4 February. One of the victims was a Bangladeshi woman while the other was a Rohingya man.

Fierce fighting, shelling, skirmishes and gunfire took place on the Myanmar side of the border over the past 12 days. However, the sound of firing died down Wednesday.

Enamul Haque, a resident from the Ghumdhum border area, told Prothom Alo he heard less sound of gunshots on Thursday morning after many days.

No sound of gunshots was heard in the Ukhiya and the Teknaf borders, and people were also seen working in fields.

A total of 330 Myanmar nationals including BGP and army members, and customs officials, who took shelter in Bangladesh, were set to be sent back to Myanmar at 8:00 am, BGB headquarters’ public relations officer Shariful Islam said.

Shariful Islam informed the media that the Myanmar nationals will be handed over to the Myanmar authorities at the Inani Navy jetty under the supervision of the BGB.

Amid the conflict on the other side of the border, the members of the Myanmar army, border guards, police, immigration and other officials crossed the border and surrendered their arms to BGB.

Three more floating bodies were spotted in a canal adjacent to the Naf river at the zero point of the Ghumdhum union in Bandarban’s Naikhongchhari upazila.

Tahsanul Haque, a college student of the Ghumdhum border area, saw the three bodies floating in a canal adjacent to the Naf river near their house and locals informed police about the matter.

Ghumdhum police outpost in-charge Mahfuz Imtiaz Bhiayan told Prothom locals informed them about the floating bodies but they could not retrieve it due to security concerns.

Earlier, a body was recovered from Ukhiya’s Rahmater Beel border on 9 February and two more bodies below the Balukhali Telipara bridge on 11 February.