DHAKA, Feb 6, 2019 (BSS) – Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen today said
Bangladesh almost sealed off its borders with Myanmar amid fresh influx
against the backdrop reported military clampdown in Rakhine state, this time
Buddhists and Hindus being its victims.
“We can’t take anymore (new nationals from Myanmar). The border with
Myanmar is almost sealed off,” Momen said as he talked to newsmen after his
separate meetings with UN Secretary-General’s special envoy on Myanmar
Christine Schraner Burgener and Hollywood superstar and UNHCR special envoy
Angelina Jolie.
Momen added that Bangladesh by now allowed enough of the influx opening the
border “now it’s better if others (other countries) open their frontiers for
them (refugees)”.
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), meanwhile, said they sent a detachment to
enforce a vigil in the remote frontiers with Myanmar in Bandarban’s Ruma area
while police said 150 Myanmar nationals in 38 mostly Buddhist families
crossed the border.
“We have sent a detachment to Ruma frontiers to enforce a stringent vigil
against fresh influx . . . the borders with Myanmar remained sealed off while
only legal movement is underway through the Ukhia and Teknaf frontiers,”
BGB’s region commander Brigadier General Ainul Morshed Khan told BSS.
Bandarban’s acting police super Mohammad Kamruzzaman said 38 mostly
Buddhist families sneaked into Bangladesh in view of the “internal conflict”
in Rakhine state while reports suggested fighting between the Myanmar
military and rebel Arakan Army forced hundreds to flee their home.
The foreign minister acknowledged the report saying “we have heard that
different ethnic and religious groups including Buddhists and Hindus, this
time apart from Muslims (Rohingyas), are trying to enter Bangladesh amid
fresh violence in Myanmar”.
About his meeting with the UN Secretary-General’s special envoy, the Momen
said he told him that Bangladesh was upset seeing that instead of mounting
pressures, some big countries still kept “all kinds of bilateral relations
including trade with Myanmar”.
He said Myanmar created the crisis while “we want its peaceful solution.
But they didn’t advance that much (to resolve the crisis). We are very
disappointed”.
Referring Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s early proposal, the foreign
minister also told the envoy that Myanmar should agree on a safe zone under
the supervision of ASEAN in Rakhine for Rohingyas.
The minister said Bangladesh is always hopeful that Rohingyas would return
to their motherland safely with dignity.