Myanmar envoy handed protest note over firing

Bangladesh government today handed a strongly worded protest note to Myanmar over the latter’s firing on Bangladeshis at the Bay of Bengal yesterday.

Myanmar envoy Myo Myint Than was summoned at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs around 1:00pm this afternoon, ministry insiders told The Daily Star.

Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary (bilateral) Kamrul Ahsan handed a strongly worded protest to the Myanmar envoy during the meeting, highly placed sources said.

Yesterday morning, Myanmar navy opened fire on a Bangladeshi fishing trawler in the Bay of Bengal near St. Martin’s Island in Cox’s Bazar. Six fishermen were injured.

Bangladesh officials confirmed that the fishermen were inside the country’s territory when the unprecedented attack took place.

Previously, Bangladesh government had summoned the Myanmar envoy to express concerns over the influx of Rohingyas fleeing persecution in the Rakhine state of Myanmar.