Bangladesh yesterday repatriated 34 members of the Myanmar Army and Border Guard Police (BGP), who had taken refuge in Bangladesh in the wake of conflict in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

In addition, five Myanmar civilians detained in Cox's Bazar jail and one in Patuakhali jail, who had completed their prison sentences, were also repatriated to their home country.

According to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement, the repatriation process was carried out in the afternoon from Cox's Bazar Airport via a civilian aircraft from Myanmar.

The 34 army and BGP personnel had crossed into Bangladesh and taken shelter in Naikhongchhari of Bandarban between December 9 last year and January 12 this year. Since then, they had been under the custody of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

The Myanmar government had completed their identification and necessary documentation before the repatriation, which was conducted under the supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with the cooperation of the Ministry of Home Affairs' Security Services Division, Cox's Bazar District Administration, police, BGB, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, customs, and other relevant authorities.

Diplomats from the Myanmar Embassy in Dhaka were present during the repatriation.

Prior to this, a total of 875 BGP and other personnel from Myanmar had been repatriated via sea in four phases last year.