Bangladesh and Myanmar continue to mobilise troops along the border although the tension over Myanmar's attempt to explore oil and gas in Bangladesh waters in the Bay of Bengal seems to be dying down.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the crisis in the Bay ended following the withdrawal of the fossil fuel exploration rig of

Korean company Daewoo Saturday afternoon.

The negotiations over the issue resulted in a win-win situation for both Bangladesh and Myanmar, Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury told reporters at the ministry yesterday.

"Bangladesh has always wanted to establish close relations with Myanmar and our policy will be directed towards that end," he said.

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However, there have been reports that although Myanmar withdrew its warships and the rig from Bangladesh waters, it continued to , mobilise its troops on the frontiers with Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) members along with army personnel are keeping round-the-clock vigil on the borders.

Our correspondent in Bandarban reports: BDR Director General Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed visited various border outposts in Naikkhangchhari of Bandarban yesterday. Later, he held a meeting with security officials.

Meanwhile, BDR on Sunday evening detained three Myanmarese citizens at Reju of Naikkhangchhari upazila for intruding into Bangladesh territory.

The detainees are Moung Buk Yee, 26, U Ching Ku, 25, and Moung Ching, 23. They were handed over to the police.

Locals also held two Myanmarese citizens--Azizul Haque arid Nuf Mohammed--at

Amtoli on Friday. They were produced before a court that sent them tojail.

Our Cox’s Bazar correspondent repons: Myanmar has mobilised its forces along the border with Bangladesh.

However, referring to various official sources Superintendent of Police of Cox's Bazar Imam Hossain said they received information that Myanmar started withdrawing its troops from the frontier around yesterday noon.

Meanwhile, it has been reported in Myanmarese media that Myanmar withdrew its warships, exploration rig and other vessels as the South Korean company conducting the exploration had completed its seismic survey and shifted to another place, reports Bloomberg.

"The necessary survey was completed," the state-run newspaper New Light of Myanmar said yesterday.

Bangladesh and Myanmar has so far held three rounds of talks to settle the dispute over maritime boundary and'the fourth round of

talks is expected to be held in Dhaka next week, foreign ministry officials said.

BDR in a report based on press publications said India has signed an agreement with Myanmar on a project to build a multi-modal transic-cum-transport system in Myanmar's coastal region.

Under the India-funded project of Rs 548 crore, two roads and a seaport in the estuary' of Kaladan river, about 250 kilometres off India’s Mizoram province, will be built within three years.

India is also interested in exploring oi) and gas in the areas. But some of the exploration blocks may overlap Bangladesh's maritime economiczone.

The demarcation of maritime boundary needs to be done through mutual discussion with Myanmar to avert dispute, rhe report said.

The report recommended that Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard should remain alert so that no “Indian oil company" could enter Bangladesh's economic zone for