285 people who fled to Bangladesh and returned to Myanmar

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has sent back 285 people who fled across the country’s border amid the ongoing conflict in Bandarban district and took refuge in Naikshyongchari to Myanmar in the morning.

Today (April 25) Thursday morning, they were sent back in a ship through Nunyarchhara BIWTA jetty in Cox’s Bazar city. However, no official statement was received from the BGB or the administration of Cox’s Bazar.

Of the 285, 261 are members of Myanmar’s Border Guard Police (BGP). The rest include the Myanmar army and immigration officials. These Myanmar citizens took refuge in Bangladesh in several stages from last March 3.

Meanwhile, Additional District Magistrate. Yamin Hossain along with some senior officials of the administration and BGP officials from Myanmar were present. The Additional District Magistrate said that they were sent at 7 am.

According to the news received from multiple sources of police and district administration, 285 people from Myanmar were first brought from Naikshyongchari BGB battalion by bus to BIWTA JT Ghat of Bankkhali river in Cox’s Bazar city at around 4 am.

From there at 6:30 in the morning, they were taken by a Bangladesh Navy ship to a Myanmar Navy ship stationed in the Bay of Bengal. In the afternoon, the ship will return to Sittwe, Myanmar via the coast of Saint Martin. The ship arrived at Cox’s Bazar yesterday afternoon with 173 Bangladeshi nationals who were released after completing their sentences in the country’s prisons.

According to the police, a high-level delegation of the country arrived in Cox’s Bazar on a Myanmar Navy ship yesterday afternoon. The Myanmar delegation was taken by road to a government primary school located in the BGB battalion at Naikshyongchari headquarters. In that school, there were BGP and army personnel of Myanmar who took refuge in Bangladesh.

Members of the Myanmar delegation identified themselves and consented to repatriation. BGB’s Cox’s Bazar Sector Commander, Naikshyongchari Zone Commander along with related officials were present.

When several officials of the BGB and upazila administration were contacted yesterday and this Thursday morning about the repatriation of Myanmar citizens, none of them agreed to talk about it.

Another 330 people who had earlier sought refuge in Bangladesh from Myanmar amid the conflict were sent back to the country on February 15 by a ship. Since February 2, the Arakan Army has been fighting with government forces in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.