At least 128 members of Myanmar’s Border Guard Police (BGP) took refuge in Bangladesh through the Naf river near Shahporir Dwip in Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar today and yesterday amid the ongoing conflict between the junta forces and rebel Arakan Army.
Of them, BGB troops came into Bangladesh through Kanchan jetty under Sabrang union around 11:00am today facing an attack by the Arakan Army, local sources said.
They surrendered to the Bangladesh Coast Guard members stationed in the three boats in the Naf River, the locals added. The junta troops were disarmed and provided food and medicine before they were handed over to the Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB), our Cox’s Bazar staff correspondent said quoting the sources.
Yesterday, 40 BGP members entered Bangladesh through two points of Teknaf border. However, BGB authorities did not confirm it.
Among the 40 BGP troops, 14 entered Bangladesh through Achar Bunia border in Sabrangrang union of Teknaf and 22 people through Nazirpara border in the same upazila. Later four more BGP members took shelter through Nazir Para around 12:00pm on Saturday, local sources said.
BGB first disarmed them and later shifted them to Hnila High School, they added.
No official version of BGB was available in this regard despite several attempts.
On February 15 and April 25, a total of 618 Myanmar nationals, mostly BGP members, entered Bangladesh after fleeing the ongoing conflict between the military junta and the Arakan Army in Rakhine state. Later, they returned to their country in two phases.
The conflict between the Junta troops and Arakan Army intensified from the beginning of February along the Ghumdhum border in Naikhonchhari upazila of Bandarban.