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BDR chief to visit Myanmar next week

Talks to focus on military build-up, Rohingya issues

M Abul Kaiam Azad
Director General of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Md Mainul Islam will visit Myanmar next week to hold talks on various contentious issues, especially the recent military build up and manoeuvre by the Myanmar government at the border with Bangladesh.
He will lead a six-member delegation also to discuss the thorny issue of Rohingya refugees, trans-border crimes, smuggling of arms and illicit drugs, and problems faced by Bangladeshi fishermen in the Nafriver and Bay of Bengal.
"The visit is aimed at building confidence between the border forces of the two countries against the backdrop of the recent developments in the border areas,” Mainul Islam told The Daily Star yesterday.
The BDR chief said they hold talks and share information regularly with the BSF but no DG-level meeting between the border forces of Bangladesh and Myanmar was held in the last three years.
"We hardly hold talks or exchange views even if any crisis arises in border areas," he added.
The BDR headquarters put forward the proposal for the visit following days of tension in October this year when Myanmar military junta mobilised massive forces at the frontier.
Numerous intelligence reports of BDR and other agencies then informed the Bangladesh government that Myanmar was preparing for a war to establish its control over the mineral resource rich waters of the Bay of Bengal.
In November 2008, the Myanmar government was forced to withdraw its oil and gas exploration project, and drilling equipment from the waters claimed by Bangladesh.
Some of the intelligence reports mentioned that this year's military build up at the border by Myanmar was nothing but manoeuvring for gain-
ing an opportunity to resume its explorations in the Bay of Bengal.
Some other reports however warned the Bangladesh authorities that Myanmar might launch an attack on Bangladesh in a bid to capture the Saint Martin's Island and a Eart of Teknaf to establish its egemony in the Bay of Bengal.
During the upcoming four-day trip, the BDR chief will meet his counterpart Nasaka chief, and the interior and home ministers of that country. He will also call on the Bangladesh ambassador in YangOn, according to the itinerary the BDR headquarters sent to the home ministry-
It said the BDR chief will also visit the Bangladesh-Myanmar border at Maungdaw in Rakhine state where the military mobilisation occurred, and where now stands a barbed wire fence erected by Myanmar.
He is being scheduled to visit the border immigration headquarters of Myanmar and the headquarters western command as well.
"The director general will discuss border issues like smuggling of arms and drugs, recent Nasaka activities along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, problems faced by Bangladeshi fishermen, illegal crossing of border and other issues of mutual interests," said a BDR letter sent to the home ministry.
The letter hoped that the visit and cooperation of the Myanmar authorities will eventually help maintain peace and tranquillity along the border of the two neighbours.
Three senior BDR officers and one official each from the foreign ministry and home ministry will accompany the BDR chiefduring the visit.