Myanmar’s insurgent Arakan Army allegedly took 20 Bangladeshi fishermen hostage from the Naf River while they were fishing on Tuesday evening, said authorities. Moreover, 15 small wooden boats from the estuary of the river near Naikhongdia of Teknaf upazila were captured. Local Union Parishad (UP) member Abdus Salam confirmed the matter saying that the fishermen from Shahparir Island, who were fishing near Naikhongdia with about 15 boats, were taken hostage at gunpoint by the Arakan Army. All the fishermen are residents of Teknaf, he said, adding that they have already informed the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) about the matter. Lt. Col Mohiuddin Ahmed, commander of Teknaf-2 BGB, said they are in contact with Myanmar authorities to negotiate their release and are making efforts to bring them back. Earlier on October 9, Myanmar's Navy took away 58 fishermen from the Bangladesh side of the Bay of Bengal, near Saint Martin's Island. One fisherman was killed and two others were injured when Myanmar Navy opened fire on them. On the next day, Myanmar authorities returned the fishermen in two separate groups, along with the body of one of the deceased.

An ISPR release has sought to quell speculation and calm nerves around the situation prevailing at the Bangladesh-Myanmar maritime boundary adjacent to St Martin's island. The ISPR, or Inter Services Public Relations, is the public communications wing of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. It said in the context of ongoing internal conflicts in Myanmar, the Myanmar military is conducting joint operations against the Arakan Army in Rakhine State. Due to this conflict between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army, there have been incidents of unwanted firing on Bangladeshi boats in the Naf River and the adjacent estuary area. BGB Chief orders heightened vigilance along Bangladesh-Myanmar border The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh expressed deep concern and protested the danger posed to Bangladeshi subjects on June 12, 2024. The ISPR release sent today said the Myanmar Navy is positioning near the maritime boundary of Myanmar and the Naf River, near St. Martin's Island, and firing artillery towards the positions of the Arakan Army. At the same time, the Arakan Army is also firing back at the Myanmar Navy. Currently, multiple warships of the Myanmar Navy are conducting these operations on the Myanmar border. The Myanmar Navy is also keeping the Bangladesh Navy informed about its presence in Myanmar’s maritime boundary near St. Martin’s Island. It is noteworthy that the internal conflict in Myanmar continues on the mainland and the adjacent coastal areas. Furthermore, near St. Martin's Island, multiple ships of the Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard are regularly patrolling from within Bangladesh’s maritime boundary, monitoring the movements of Myanmar’s ships. "As the ongoing internal conflict in Myanmar approaches near St. Martin's, there have been various rumors spread by interested parties on social media regarding the security of St. Martin's. Everyone is requested not to be misled by such rumors," the ISPR said. Read more: Need to find new partners to raise more int’l fund for Rohingyas: PM Hasina to IOM

So far, 264 Myanmar forces, including BGP and army personnel, have fled and taken shelter in Bangladesh amid clashes between the Myanmar military and the armed rebel group, Arakan Army, said Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, director general of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). “The border situation is now under control and we are trying to deal with the situation as humanely as possible while maintaining international relations,” the newly appointed BGB chief said while talking to reporters after paying tribute at the mausoleum of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on Tuesday. Police working with BGB to ensure security at Bangladesh-Myanmar border: IGP Until Monday night, 115 Myanmar forces had taken shelter in Bangladesh and 114 security personnel arrived till Tuesday morning while 35 more entered in the afternoon, he said. So far, a total of 264 Myanmar security personnel have surrendered, he added. “We have given shelter and food to them. Among them 15 were injured. Eight of them were undergoing treatment at Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital and Chattogram Medical College and Hospital,” said the BGB DG. Tension at the border: What Dhaka told the Myanmar Ambassador Two people including a Bangladeshi woman were killed following an explosion of a mortar shell on Monday, he said, adding, “Such deaths can’t be acceptable.” Besides, 65 Rohingyas, who tried to enter the country by boats, were sent back, he said. “No more Rohingya will be allowed,” said the BGB chief.

As many as 264 Myanmar security forces have fled to Bangladesh amid clashes between the country’s military and the armed rebel group, Arakan Army. A total of 264 Myanmar forces including BGP, army personnel and immigration officials have taken shelter in Bangladesh, said Shariful Islam, public relations officer (PRO) of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). The Myanmar forces have entered Bangladesh through Tumbru border in Naikhangchhari upazila of Bandarban district with arms and ammunition. The BGB disarmed them and took them to a safe shelter, he said. Read: No more Rohingyas to be allowed in: New BGB Chief The BGB PRO said members of the BGP started taking shelter in Bangladesh since Sunday morning. A Bangladeshi woman and a Rohingya man were killed following an explosion of a mortar shell at a house in Jolpaitoli under Ghumdum union of Naikhongchhari upazila in Bandarban district on Monday. Amid the ongoing unrest along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, academic activities of five government primary schools in Naikhangchhari upazila have been suspended. The government has taken the decision considering the safety of the teachers and students. A notification was issued in this regard on Monday. Meanwhile, Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, newly appointed director general of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), has said, “The border situation is now under control and we are trying to deal with the situation as humanely as possible while maintaining international relations.”   Until Monday night, 115 Myanmar forces had taken shelter in Bangladesh and 114 security personnel arrived till Tuesday morning while 35 more entered in the afternoon, he said. Besides, 65 Rohingyas, who tried to enter the country by boats, were sent back, he said. “No more Rohingya will be allowed,” said the BGB chief. Read: Under-trial prisoner ‘tortured to death’ in Chattogram jail  Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, earlier today,  detailed the collaborative efforts of Bangladesh Police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and local administration to maintain law and order at the Ghumdhum border in Bandarban, following directives from the government.   The Arakan Army is the well-trained and well-armed military wing of the Rakhine ethnic minority movement, which seeks autonomy from Myanmar’s central government. It is a member of the armed ethnic group alliance that recently gained strategic territory in Myanmar’s northeast. Along with the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army — operating together under the name of the Three Brotherhood Alliance — it launched a coordinated offensive on October 27, 2023 in northern Shan state along the border with China. That offensive has posed the greatest battlefield challenge to Myanmar’s military rulers since the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. The alliance says it has seized more than 250 military outposts, five official border crossings and a major city near the Chinese border, along with several important towns, according to an AP report. Rakhine is where a brutal army counterinsurgency operation in 2017 drove about 740,000 members of the Muslim Rohingya minority to seek safety across the border in Bangladesh. Rakhine is also known by its older name of Arakan.  

Seven more members of Myanmar's Border Guard Police (BGP) have fled to Bangladesh amid clashes between the Myanmar military and the armed rebel group, Arakan Army. With them, the number of BGP personnel who took shelter in Bangladesh so far stands at 113. Shariful Islam, public relations officer (PRO) of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), said that 113 BGP members have so far entered Bangladesh through Tumbru border in Naikhangchhari upazila of Bandarban district with arms and ammunition, due to the ongoing clashes inside Myanmar. The BGB disarmed them and took them to a safe shelter, he said. The BGB PRO said members of the BGP started taking shelter in Bangladesh since Sunday (February 04, 2024) morning. Read more: 2 killed in 'shelling' in Bandarban's Ghumdhum The Arakan Army is the well-trained and well-armed military wing of the Rakhine ethnic minority movement, which seeks autonomy from Myanmar’s central government. It is a member of the armed ethnic group alliance that recently gained strategic territory in Myanmar’s northeast. Along with the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army — operating together under the name of the Three Brotherhood Alliance — it launched a coordinated offensive on October 27, 2023 in northern Shan state along the border with China. That offensive has posed the greatest battlefield challenge to Myanmar’s military rulers since the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. The alliance says it has seized more than 250 military outposts, five official border crossings and a major city near the Chinese border, along with several important towns, according to an AP report. Rakhine is where a brutal army counterinsurgency operation in 2017 drove about 740,000 members of the Muslim Rohingya minority to seek safety across the border in Bangladesh. Rakhine is also known by its older name of Arakan. Read more: What Foreign Minister said on Myanmar’s BGP men taking shelter in Bangladesh

Myanmar has reached out to Bangladesh to take back members of Border Guard Police (BGP) who entered Bangladesh territory to save themselves amid conflicts there with the Arakan Army. "We are in constant communication. They want to take back their BGP members. The Myanmar government is communicating with Bangladesh as they (BGP members) want to go back. There is communication from both ends," Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday. Thirty-seven more members of Myanmar’s border police have taken shelter in Bangladesh border amid a conflict between the Myanmar military and the armed rebel group, the Arakan Army, in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. With this, the total number of BGP personnel who took shelter in Bangladesh stood at 95 till this morning (February 5, 2024), said Shariful Islam, public relations officer at Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Headquarters. Number of Myanmar border guards who fled to Bangladesh stands at 103: BGB The Foreign Minister said Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh and Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister have communicated in this regard and Myanmar conveyed that they would take back the BGP members. “How they will be taken back – by air or by road – is now being discussed. You know that the members of Myanmar security forces also entered Indian territory earlier, but they were sent back by air. We will also send them back,” Hasan said. Responding to a question, the foreign minister said that the border is secure. ‘WE WELCOME BIDEN’S LETTER’ The foreign minister also said that Bangladesh has welcomed the letter written by US President Joe Biden and thinks that any question that was there has been cleared by this letter. “We welcome the letter written by President Biden. We already have very good relations with the US. Through this letter, our partnership will further advance,” Hasan told reporters. There is no more “discomfort” in the Bangladesh-US relations, Hasan said. US President Joe Biden has written to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressing his willingness to work together to achieve Bangladesh’s economic goal. He also expressed willingness to partner with Bangladesh on their shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific. "The United States is committed to supporting Bangladesh's ambitious economic goals and partnering with Bangladesh on our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific," President Biden said in his letter. As the two countries embark on the next chapter of the US-Bangladesh partnership, the US President said he wants to convey the sincere desire of his administration to continue their work together on regional and global security, economic development, climate change and energy, global health, humanitarian support, especially for Rohingya refugees, and more. "We have a long and successful history of working together to solve problems, and our strong people-to-people ties are the foundation of this relationship," the US President wrote to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. TALKS WITH THAI, LIBYAN AMBASSADORS During the maiden courtesy meeting with Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thai Ambassador to Bangladesh Makawadee Sumitmor congratulated the Bangladesh Foreign Minister on behalf of the Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara. Reflecting on the excellent Bangladesh-Thai relations, they discussed issues to deepen ties, such as possible high level visits, trade and investment, possible free trade agreement (FTA) and existing tax regime, port connectivity, enhanced frequency of flights and energy cooperation. Ambassador of Libya to Bangladesh Abdulmutalib S Suliman also met Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud. The Foreign Minister said Bangladesh will stand beside Libya in its rebuilding efforts. They discussed working facilities for doctors, nurses, engineers and other skilled workforces. Read more: 37 more Nasaka personnel take shelter in Bangladesh; total number now 95

Thirty-seven more members of Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP) aka Nasaka have taken shelter in Bangladesh border amid a conflict between the Myanmar military and the armed rebel group, the Arakan Army, in Myanmar's Rakhine state. With this, the total number of Nasaka members who took shelter in Bangladesh stood at 95 till this morning (February 5, 2024), said Shariful Islam, public relations officer at Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Headquarters. The BGB disarmed the Nasaka members and took them to a safe shelter, he said, adding that a process was underway to take action in this connection. Read more: No more stray mortal shells from Myanmar to land in Bangladesh, hopes FM Earlier on Sunday, 58 BGP members took shelter along the border, the BGB officer said. UNB Cox’s Bazar correspondent reported that two Bangladeshis sustained bullet injuries during firing between Myanmar army and armed groups in Tumbru area along Ghumdhum border in Naikhongchhari upazila of Bandarban on Sunday morning. Locals said there has been a fierce conflict between the country's army and armed groups inside Myanmar over the past few days. High-powered ammunition and explosives have been used and people in the border area of Ghumdhum have become tensed. Read more: Out of options, Rohingya fleeing Myanmar and Bangladesh by boat despite soaring death toll

Bangladesh continues to be a collateral victim of Myanmar’s internal politics and Indo-China rivalry in the region. The latest border problem is a result of the Myanmar government’s continuing war with the Arakan Army (AA), one of the most organized ethnic rebel groups inside Myanmar. Yangon has told Bangladesh that the shells landing in Bangladesh were actually lobbed by the AA. The sub-text added was that AA wants to see worsening BD-Myanmar relations. Bangladesh media has been portraying the issue as a Myanmar-BD problem but facts always don’t support this. The AA is also fully supported by China who is using them and other rebel groups to spread its influence in the eastern side of the region. India fears that this is meant to weaken its position in the region. It has always been wary of rebel activities in Myanmar. And it’s not just because of shared ethnic groups in both countries who are militant too. Both Pakistan and China have supported such groups hoping to gain advantage against India, their media says. Also read: Fear grips border areas as Myanmar fighter jets fire towards Bangladesh The Arakan Army and Myanmar Myanmar has said that the Arakan Army and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) both from the Rakhine zone- are responsible for the recent troubles. This message was conveyed to the Bangladesh's ambassador in Yangon recently. Incidentally, both groups are fighting Yangon and have often taken shelter in Bangladesh’s hilly areas. The reason why there appears to be a sudden escalation within Myanmar for the last 3/4 weeks is because the central authority is weakening due to its economic difficulties. However, the official army is also able to strike back strongly and hence the escalation. U Zaw Phyo Win, a top official -director-general of the foreign ministry's Strategic Studies and Training Department- at Myanmar's foreign ministry, called in Ambassador Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury to clarify the situation. Recent armed encounters in Myanmar between the AA and official forces have seen body counts on both sides and a police outpost in Maungdaw Township was captured by the rebels. “The director general expressed Myanmar's willingness to work with Bangladesh to maintain tranquility along the border and stressed the significance of "full and reciprocal cooperation" in that regard. (BDnews24) Shelter in Bangladesh: ARSA Myanmar has also informed that both AA and ARSA have shelters inside Bangladeshi and asked for the termination of the same. This is a fact but it’s not a political shelter as part of any Bangladeshi intent. ARSA or similar groups such as Rohingya Liberation Front (RLF) was sheltered and trained and supplied with arms by Bangladesh during the 1992-93 period when Rohingyas came in. Pakistan’s ISI helped the operation and it was mentioned in the local media also. Later, most of the refugees returned home and the weapons’ left behind by these groups used to be regularly found in the hilly areas of Cox’s Bazar. Also read: Myanmar’s shelling inside Bangladesh “unintentional mistake”, Momen says in NY Current Rohingya refugees have a smattering of ARSA activists among them but are hardly a serious threat. They appear to have been dormant in the last few years without a major sponsor. However, Myanmar has always used them as an excuse to push out Rohingyas and blame Bangladesh. The Arakan Army The Arakan Army is a very different ball game because its way more serious with near official support by China and links with other China supported groups inside Myanmar. China does have a huge stake in the region and the lack of any central authority has allowed China to build its base in that troubled zone. The AA group has sophisticated weaponry including 50 of the MANPADS (Man-Portable Air Defense Systems) surface-to-air missiles. This outfit does have shelter in the Bandarban area including Naikahanchari where they apparently have significant sized camps. BGB leaves them alone and rightly as it can’t afford to risk a large-scale confrontation. The famine a few years back that struck that area may have been caused by AA forbidding harvesting for a period of time. Can Dhaka do much? Briefing ambassadors from ASEAN countries, Rear Admiral Md Khurshed Alam, acting secretary of foreign affairs said “We took in the Rohingya five years ago and they have not taken a single one back. As our prime minister has said, we are working on the matter patiently. This cannot be allowed to continue.” When told that Myanmar has blamed the rebels, Khurshed said: “They have been saying similar things since the start.” Bangladesh can neither afford a war it can’t win nor expect the problem to go away. The matter is not in Bangladesh or even Myanmar’s hands as it’s obvious that big power politics dominates the conflict which has resulted in the current situation.   The refugees are not going home soon either. Unless China trains the AA better to fire missiles and helps the Myanmar military to envision a peace deal in which more than half the country is not under official state authority, these border trifles will go on. For Bangladesh the focus should be more on the Teesta barrage project where BD-China interests slot in smoothly.

Myanmar has claimed that the Arakan Army and terrorist group ARSA used the same weapons and attacked the Taungpyo (Right) Border Guard Police Outpost at BP-34 on September 16 and 17, 2022 when nine mortar shells landed on Bangladeshi soil. Zaw Phyo Win, Director-General of Strategic Studies and Training Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Myanmar met Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury, Ambassador of Bangladesh to Myanmar, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Yangon on Monday. The director-general claimed that Arakan Army and terrorist group ARSA have been deliberately carrying out such attacks to cause “negative consequences” on the existing “cordial bilateral relations” between Bangladesh and Myanmar, according to the Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Also read: MOFA lodges strong protest over Myanmar’s mortar shells into Bangladesh He said Myanmar will cooperate with Bangladesh to maintain peace in the border areas and stressed the significance of full and reciprocal cooperation from the Bangladesh side. The director-general stated that while taking the necessary security measures close to the border with utmost caution, the Myanmar side always abides by bilateral agreements and international norms as well as respects the integrity and sovereignty of all nations, including Bangladesh. He recalled that on September 7, 2022, the Bangladeshi side was notified of the information of the trenches and bases of the AA and ARSA terrorists located “inside Bangladesh” through diplomatic channel and reiterated Myanmar’s call to take necessary and immediate actions to investigate on the ground and dismantle those structures and bases. Also read: Unexploded mortar shells found near Bangladesh-Myanmar border Later, he handed over a non-paper containing the Myanmar version of the incidents to the Bangladesh ambassador. During the meeting, the director-general clarified the prevailing on-the-ground situations regarding the firing incidents near Myanmar-Bangladesh border in response to issues raised by the Bangladesh side at the meetings between Myanmar ambassador to Bangladesh and director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh. The director-general apprised that AA and terrorist group ARSA attacked the Taungpyo (Left) Border Guard Police Outpost at BP-31 with mortars on September 16, 2022 when three mortar shells landed inside Bangladesh territory. Read Malaysian foreign minister, int’l lawmakers demand decisive action on Myanmar

Acting foreign secretary Rear Admiral (Retd) Md Khurshed Alam said they had a high-level meeting today (September 18, 2022) with all concerned and urged Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Bangladesh Coast Guard to remain on high alert with “reinforcement”, if required. Khurshed Alam, also secretary at Maritime Affairs Unit (MAU) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Bangladesh is a “responsible and peace-loving” country and they are “observing and tolerating” the situation along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border with much patience. Talking to reporters at the ministry, he said they are in touch with all relevant agencies and the government remains alert so that no Myanmar national can enter Bangladesh. Also read: Myanmar ambassador summoned for the 4th time Earlier in the morning, the Ministry of Foreign Affais summoned the Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh Aung Kyaw Moe for the fourth time and lodged a strong protest over the recent incidents along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. The ambassador was summoned at the office of Md. Najmul Huda, Director General (South East Asia wing) of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Khurshed Alam said Bangladesh conveyed to the ambassador that what’s happening in Myanmar is their internal issue and they need to think how they will solve it. Read BNP urges global community to act against Myanmar's insolent activities He said Bangladesh has told the ambassador to take steps to prevent repetition of such incidents – death and injuries – inside Bangladesh. The acting foreign secretary said the Myanmar envoy listened to the Bangladesh side and assured that he would report to the headquarters. The acting foreign secretary hoped that there will be a solution if Bangladesh remains strong. Bangladesh is not demonstrating any weakness, rather it is conveying its message to Myanmar from a very strong position, he added. Read Do more to cut Myanmar military's revenue, arms supply: UN to countries Asked who will take responsibility of the recent death, the acting foreign secretary said they cannot say exactly who had fired the bullet, though the bullet has “Myanmar army” written on it. He said the Myanmar side was saying these bullets had been stolen by the Arakan Army and they are using these bullets to create "distance" between Bangladesh and Myanmar. “In such a situation, it is difficult to determine who will take the responsibility.” Khurshed Alam said Bangladesh has asked Myanmar to take steps for stopping the spill-over of Myanmar’s internal conflict into Bangladesh.  Read UN experts seek more help for human rights defenders in push for accountability in Myanmar Earlier, Dhaka reiterated its “deep concern” over the recent incidents of Myanmar’s mortar shelling, indiscriminate aerial firing in the bordering areas, and air space violations. On Saturday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said the government is trying to resolve the issues with Myanmar peacefully and diplomatically but a complaint will be lodged to the United Nations regarding mortar shelling at the border if necessary. He said the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry has warned them (Myanmar) several times but they didn’t keep their promise. “We have lodged a strong protest over casualties from Friday’s mortar shelling by Myanmar at Tombru border,” he added. Read Bangladesh wants discussion to avert border tension with Myanmar: Foreign Secretary On Friday night, a 17-year-old-Rohingya boy named Mohammad Iqbal was killed and five others were injured as a mortar shell fired by the Myanmar army exploded at the Zero Point Rohingya Camp close to the international border in Tombru, Bandarban. The deceased and injured were all residents of the Zero Point Rohingya Camp, known as the camp that is closest to the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, in No Man's Land. Four mortar shells landed in succession at the Rohingya camp around 8 pm. Also read: Home Minister: Will complain to UN over Myanmar’s mortar shelling if needed Earlier, an indigenous youth, named Anganthowai Tanchangya, was grievously injured in a landmine explosion along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Naikhongchhari Upazila of Bandarban on Friday noon. Locals said it is the Myanmar army that has mined the area. Twelve mortar shells have been fired by the Myanmar army on Bangladesh territory so far.