Push-ins and push-backs are going on across the border with Myanmar amid tensions following mobilisation of a huge number of Myanmarese troops along the border for erecting barbed wire fence.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh has sent in more reinforcements on the border with Myanmar to strengthen its strategic position in the face of massive military build-up by the latter’s junta.
Sources at the intelligence agencies said Nasaka, the border security force of Myanmar, gathered about 10,000 Rohingyas at several bordering points opposite Naikhongchhari last week in a bid to push them into the Bangladesh territory.
Local people said even after receiving the Rohingyas from the Bangladesh authorities, Nasaka forced them again to enter into the country using other borders of the hill district.
Some 154 Rohingyas were pushed back to their country in last two weeks through the Naikhongchhari border, BDR sources said.
The Rohingyas who returned from their country after the handover to the Myanmar authorities said they were compelled to enter into Bangladesh as Nasaka men tortured them and forced them to work like building barbed wire fence, bunkers, etc.
Against the backdrop of this trend, police and BDR have taken the policy of pushing the Rohingyas back to Myanmar instead of filing cases against them to avoid the problems in jails created by their continued infiltration into Bangladesh.
A source in Bandarban district police said 550 accused and convicts, most of them Rohingyas, are staying in the Bandarban jail with a capacity of 114.
The source said the pushing back policy has been taken following directives from the high-ups in the government.
Wishing anonymity a BDR official told The Daily Star that they cannot stop Rohingya infiltration due to lack of surveillance on 288 km long border as the geographical location is unfavourable and the number of border out post (BoP) insufficient.
Police and BDR in separate drives held 44 Rohingyas from the district this week. Of them, 12 Rohingyas were held from Ali Kadam upazila on Sunday night, 21 from Sadar upazila on Tuesday while 11 from Lama upazila on Wednesday.
MORE TROOPS MOBILSED ON BORDER
Bangladesh has sent in more reinforcements on the Myanmar border to strengthen its strategic position in the face of massive build-up and repeated provocative actions by the military junta on the other side, border sources said.
They said three more battalions were mobilised yesterday. A convoy carrying cannons, artillery guns and other armaments from Comilla and Chittagong were moved to the border. They were stationed in Barabil of Ramu and Fashiakhali in Bandarban.
Tension arose on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border as Myanmar augmented its forces in the border area with tanks, artillery guns and warships in the adjacent waters.
People in the bordering villages said Myanmar constructed bunkers to fortify the border area and its forces were patrolling with heavy weapons.
Earlier Bangladesh sent a brigade to Ramu upazila of Cox’s Bazar. It was moved in to the bordering area yesterday.
Sources in Bangladesh army said Myanmar would not be able to intrude into our territory, as the soldiers of BDR remain on high alert.
Categories: Bangla, Bangladesh, Bangladesh News, Bangladesh Politics, Daily Bangladesh News, News, Politics
