Amidst the ongoing heavy firing and war between rebels and soldiers in Myanmar, it is reported that at least 58 soldiers of Myanmar’s paramilitary border guarding forces have left the country and fled to Bangladesh.
The soldiers entered the Tambru border on Sunday and sought refuge from the Bangladesh Border Guard. 14 out of 58 soldiers have been injured in the firing.
Fourteen of them crossed the border with gunshot wounds and are being treated at various hospitals, including health facilities in Rohingya camps, the official familiar with the development said.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the paramilitary personnel were being held in the custody of their counterpart Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in southeastern Cox’s Bazar, bordering Myanmar’s Rakhine state.
The weapons they had were deposited in the BGB cash. The official said many soldiers had crossed into Bangladesh territory in combat uniform and weapons.
While others left their weapons back home and were in plain clothes. BGB has informed its Myanmar counterparts about the matter.
Meanwhile, Dhaka expressed concern over clashes along its border areas with Myanmar, saying the violence was affecting Bangladesh’s front lines.
Road Transport Minister and Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader called for Chinese intervention to de-escalate the conflict, given Beijing’s close contacts with Burmese officials.
Kader said after meeting the Chinese envoy, the internal war is their (Myanmar’s) domestic concern. But when sounds of firing are heard on the border, it naturally creates panic in the minds of the public. Therefore, we expect intervention from Beijing.
Officials had earlier said that 14 BGP personnel crossed the border early in the morning through Ghumdhum border crossing. The Bandarban district administration, where the troubled border is located, has closed five schools due to security reasons. BGB asked residents to stay indoors or proceed with caution.
Officials said reports coming from the other side of the border indicated that army helicopters were firing on rebel fighters, raising concerns of mass casualties.
Bangladesh had earlier ordered additional security surveillance along the border with Myanmar in view of the firing between the army and the rebel Arakan Army, which is active in the country’s border Rakhine region.
International media reports suggest that more rebel groups, some in alliance among themselves, are confronting the military in several parts of Myanmar.
The resistance movement in Myanmar is gaining momentum three years after a coup ended a short-lived experiment with democracy, according to reports and analysts.
Bangladesh’s border with Myanmar extends 271.0 kilometers (168.4 mi) from the tri-point with India in the north to the Bay of Bengal in the south.