Myanmar ambassador summoned by foreign ministry

The foreign ministry on Monday summoned Myanmar ambassador to Dhaka Aung Kyaw Moe in protest of two mortar shells hurled from Myanmar which landed in Bangladesh territory on Sunday.

The foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen said this while speaking to reporters on Monday.

The shells fell at Tumbru Bazar area in Naikhongchari’s Ghumdhum border area at around 3:00pm on Sunday. But the shells didn’t detonate.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members later diffused the unexploded shells.

Bangladesh instantly responded to the incident. Foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen told reporters on Sunday that they would investigate whether the incident was an accident or intentional. If it was accidental, the Bangladesh government will warn Myanmar.

Masud Bin Momen said on Monday, “Today (Monday), we summoned him. We have sternly protested the incident through a diplomatic letter. We have asked them to make sure that such an incident is not repeated.”

Some recent occurrences, like a helicopter of the Myanmar security force entering Bangladesh’s air space and the hurled mortar shells, has made Dhaka anxious.

In protest, on 21 August, the Myanmar ambassador to Dhaka was summoned at the office of the foreign ministry’s Myanmar sub-division’s director general Md Mainul Kabir.

The ambassador was given a stern reminder that these actions from Myanmar are not actions of a friendly neighbour.

Bangladesh strongly condemned these actions, which go against international law. Bangladesh expects better conduct from Myanmar as a good neighbour. After the summons, a protest letter was handed to the ambassador.