Govt mobilises troops

Bangladesh has reinforced its troops along the border with Myanmar as tension went high following repeated provocative acts by the latter's military forces including violation of international border and illegal construction of barbed-wire fences along the frontier.

Highly-placed sources in the government said the reinforcement was required as the Myanmar military junta deployed huge troops with heavy weapons within five kilometres of the border and many of them frequently intruded into Bangladesh territory, added the sources.

Bangladesh in the past always resolved all disputes with its neighbours through bilateral discussion but this time the authorities had taken it seriously and they are taking steps accordingly, said the sources.

The tension ran high as Myanmar troops fired several shots towards Bangladesh territory, witnesses said.

Paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles were kept on high alert yesterday along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.

"Myanmar troops intruded into Bangladesh territory several times which is a serious threat to country's security," said an armed forces division report submitted to the government with its recommendations.

A group of Myanmar troops from engineering corps of its Medaik camp trespassed into Bangladesh territory to gather information about Bangladesh on September 29, the report said, adding that after the intrusion Bangladesh army was put on high alert there.

In recent years and months, Myanmar authorities have constructed new roads, military war obstacles including bunkers along the borders, renovated a nearby airport and started fencing the border as part of its provocative activities.

Myanmar has already constructed 42-kilometre long road and 9-kilometre war obstacles for its troops and set up concrete pillars on a 10-kilometre area along the border.

Bangladesh has protested Myanmar's such provocative acts time and again but the military junta did not pay any heed, sources in the foreign ministry told The Daily Star.

Sources said the Myanmar junta had renovated and expanded Sittwe Airport known as Arakan Airport and started flying aircraft for military exercise from there two to three days back which also increased tension on the Bangladesh side.

They added that the airport had remained abandoned for military aircrafts since the Second World War and a few small civil aircrafts used to fly from it.

"Myanmar has been making all-out preparations keeping in view Bangladesh," said a senior government official not authorised to talk to media.

Foreign ministry officials said Bangladesh has repeatedly requested Myanmar authorities to stop such provocations but they showed no restraint.

Following fresh tension, an army brigade has been moved to Fashiakhali of Ramu to closely monitor the activities of Myanmar troops. Police, Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and Ansar members were also increased in the bordering region over the past few days.

"Extra soldiers were also deployed in some bordering upazilas of Khagrachhari, Bandarban and Cox's Bazar districts," Home Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder told The Daily Star yesterday, adding that the government is seriously concerned over the recent events on the border.

Our Bandarban correspondent Monirul Islam Monu adds: Bangladesh troops have been kept on high alert at Naikhhongchhari upazila in Bandarban and Hnila and Damdamia in Cox's Bazar district bordering Myanmar after the fresh tension.

Different unconfirmed sources said, in recent times 13 fighter planes were positioned at Sittwe Airport and 12 war ships anchored in the two rivers of Myanmar.

In November last year, Myanmar warships entered into Bangladesh maritime boundary to guard its exploration vessels, fomenting enormous tension between the two countries as both the countries mobilised their troops on the borders.

Myanmar had to withdraw the warships and the oil and gas exploration rigs as Bangladesh initiated both bilateral and international negotiations to resolve the crisis peacefully.