Bandarban Border
Myanmar to stop road construction
Assures it will remove barbed wire fencing from zero line
Myanmar yesterday assured Bangladesh of postponing the construction of a road close to the zero line of Tambru frontier under Ghumdhum union of Naikkhongchhari upazila in Bandarban.
The neighbouring country has also pledged to relocate the barbed wire fence from two places along the zero line of this frontier.
The assurance came from Myanmar border force Nasaka at a battalion level flag meeting with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) at Dakhhin Ghumdhum Govt Primary School.
Local sources said tension was growing between the two border forces when Nasaka was constructing the road, but it defused after they stopped the construction last week following protest by BGB.
A joint border survey by the two countries this year detected around 150 feet long barbed wire fence within 40 feet from the zero line at one place. It also found around 300 feet fence within 140 feet from the zero line, according to BGB.
As per international border law, erecting barbed wire fence or any structure within 150 yards of the zero line is prohibited.
Nasaka joined yesterday’s meeting in response to BGB’s October 4 letter requesting them for holding a flag meeting.
Commander of 17 BGB Battalion of Cox’s Bazar Lt Col Md Khalequzzaman led the BGB delegation, while the Nasaka side was led by its sector 3 commander.
The BGB official said Myanmar did not erect the fence intentionally. It happened as the Tambru canal, which determines the zero line, moved into Bangladesh territory due to a landslide in 2009. Myanmar erected the fence assuming the canal as the zero line.
During border patrol BGB noticed the road construction within the said distance from the zero line, but Myanmar stopped the work after BGB protested it a few days back.
“Nasaka said they were constructing the road temporarily to carry materials for barbed wire fencing and asked Bangladesh to allow them, but we didn’t agree,” mentioned Khalequzzaman.
Earlier, the district judge of Cox’s Bazar sent a letter to BGB informing that 60 Myanmar nationals have been languishing in jail despite their jail terms are over.
Nasaka agreed to take back 19 of the Myanmarese, who have been identified by the Myanmar embassy in Dhaka, said the BGB commander. The border force has handed over the corrected list and photographs of 41 others.
The Myanmar team chief assured BGB of taking necessary steps if the list is sent through their embassy in Dhaka.
The BGB official also pointed out smuggling of huge amount of Yaba tablets and narcotics from Myanmar into Bangladesh.
The Nasaka commander said they are sincere about stopping the smuggling.
-With The Daily Star input
