The unprovoked attacks on BGB personnel by Myanmar’s Border Guards Police (BGP) came as a shock to relations between our two countries.
Both our countries have a common interest in ensuring a safe and peaceful border and in improving our bilateral ties.
It is clearly unacceptable that a routine patrol on the Bangladeshi side should have come under fire for no apparent reason, and that the BGP crossed over from Myanmar to abduct a BGB officer, Naik Mizanur Rahman, who was later killed.
The BGB came under further fire when they were ambushed after being asked to come to an agreed upon point to retrieve Mizanur’s body.
We hope that today’s return of his body will help resolve the serious breach of human rights and international norms and to bring about normality along our border with Myanmar.
It is right that the Foreign Ministry summoned Myanmar’s Ambassador twice in three days in order to strongly protest these unwanted incidents on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.
We expect our government to demonstrate firmness in upholding Bangladesh’s sovereignty when dealing with the authorities in Myanmar.
The government acted appropriately by sending two Note Verbale protests to Myanmar.
As neighbours with growing economies that are reaching out for foreign investment, Bangladesh and Myanmar have much in common. We should be working together to build our trading links and to improve relations.
Our governments should keep working together to ensure there is no repeat of this week’s incidents.
Source: UNBconnect
