COX’S BAZAR, Oct 30, 2022 (BSS) – Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) today strongly protested violation of the Bangladeshi airspace and firing mortar shells by Myanmar’s forces landed inside Bangladesh.

The protest came in a five-hour flag meeting between BGB and Myanmar’s Border Guard Police (BGP) at BGB rest house adjacent to Shah Parir Dwip jetty ghat at Teknaf in the district.

BGP expressed sorrow over the incident and pledged that recurrence of such incidents won’t happen again in future.

Emerging from the meeting that ended at 3pm, BGB 2 Battalion Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Sheikh Khalid Mohammad Iftekhar said they protested against the incident of firing mortar shells by Myanmar’s forces landed inside Bangladesh and violation of airspace by Myanmar helicopter.

“BGP expressed sorrow over the incident and pledged that such incidents won’t occur in the future,” he mentioned.

Iftekhar said the both sides also agreed to work together over the border situation.

Issues relating to prevention of intrusion and drug smuggling were also discussed, he said.

On behalf of BSP, it was said that Myanmar’s separatist terrorist group is carrying out different criminal acts in the bordering areas after taking refuge in Bangladesh, the captain said.

BGB denied that incident saying any terrorist was never allowed to use Bangladesh land area by any means, adding that Bangladesh never extended any kind of assistance to terrorists.

Bangladesh will take tougher stance against terrorists, Iftekhar said.

In the press briefing, BGB Cox’s Bazar Sector Commander Colonel Mohammad Azizur Rahman Rouf said the flag meeting was a part of regular meeting.

Unstable situation has been prevailing inside Myanmar for the last three months, he said, adding that under the circumstances, it took time to hold meeting but the two border forces kept communication at different levels since the outset.

BGB sent letters to BGP for more than once in different times, Rouf said. In this context, BGP agreed to sit and today’s meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere, he said.

BGB-2 Battalion Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Sheikh Khalid Mohammad Iftekhar led the BGB side while Lieutenant Colonel Kao Na Yan Shoo, commanding officer of the BGP Branch No 1 of Maungdaw in Myanmar, led the BGP delegation.