BGB rescues 2 Myanmar soldiers

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Tuesday rescued two Myanmar army personnel who are believed to have been abducted by a separatist group of the neighbouring country.

The duo were found abandoned deep in the jungle between the main pillar 67 and tri-junction -- a bordering area of Bangladesh, Myanmar and India -- during a joint raid by BGB, Bangladesh Army and different intelligence agencies.

“A separatist group abducted them. Sensing presence of the joint operation team at Bandarban border, they abandoned the duo and fled,” Col Khondoker Farid Hassan, deputy director general of BGB, told a press briefing at the capital's BGB headquarters yesterday.

One of the victims was physically ill, but after necessary treatment, both returned to good shape, Col Farid added.

The BGB refused to reveal the victims' names and details for security grounds but confirmed that they were non-commissioned personnel of the Myanmar army.

However, BBC Bangla Service reports an Arakanese militia group kidnapped Deputy Sergeant Naing Tun and Private Khin Zaw Latt of Myanmar army a few days earlier and took them toward the Bandarban border.

They are aged between 25 and 35.

The victims were in civil dress, said the BGB official, adding that they came to know about their identities after questioning them.

The BGB has already informed Myanmar's Border Guard Police and other authorities concerned regarding the rescue and requested them to receive their personnel as early as possible, said Col Farid.

The rescue of the Myanmar army personnel came against the backdrop of abduction of BGB Nayek Razzak by Myanmar's BGP on June 17.

The BGP shot a Bangladesh border guard trooper and taken captive Nayek Razzak on a canal near the Naf river along the Teknaf border. He was handed over to BGB after eight days of talks between the two border forces.

Replying to a question, Col Farid said they did not receive any request from Myanmar regarding rescue of the army personnel.

He also said the joint operation was a routine one as the spot of incident is one of unprotected bordering areas between Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The Myanmar authorities have often told the BGB that separatists might trespass into Bangladesh during or after confrontations with BGP.

They have also requested the neighbouring country to look into the matter as it was also Bangladesh's security concern. That is why the BGB routinely conduct operations along the unprotected bordering areas, said Col Farid.

The operation, which was one of four such in recent times, was conducted between July 5 and 14.

Bangladesh shares 271 kilometres of bordering areas with Myanmar, of which 148 kilometres is still unprotected, according to BGB.