Bangladesh has tightened its border security by deploying more personnel to prevent a further influx of Rohingyas from Myanmar, a senior executive of the Foreign Ministry has said.
This is despite the United Nation's refugee agency UNHCR on November 18 urging Bangladesh to keep its border with Myanmar open for the Rohingyas.
Moreover, the government has cancelled the secretary-level meeting of the next-door neighbours scheduled to be hosted by Myanmar today, citing a lack of preparation time.
"The country seemed less interested to hold the meeting as they sent the agenda at the last minute," the Foreign Ministry official said.
This comes after a joint trade meeting scheduled for November 9-10 was initially suspended in the wake of the October 9 armed attack on a Myanmar security outpost. The meeting eventually took place because of the efforts taken by the Bangladesh side, said the official.
“The cancellation of the foreign office consultation signals that mistrust is growing between the countries,” said another senior executive of the ministry, seeking anonymity.
Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque declined a Dhaka Tribune request for his comments on the latest situation in Myanmar. It was at a meeting he held with high officials of the Home Ministry on November 20 that the government decided it should not change its policy.
Diplomatic sources say the officials agreed that the fresh influx would be handled in a humanitarian manner by providing the Rohingyas with food and other emergency supplies, but they would be pushed back from the border.
'Uncomfortable issue' for Bangladesh
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal the same day told media that the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Coast Guard had been alerted to prevent the illegal entry of Rohingyas at the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.
“Rohingya migration is an uncomfortable issue for Bangladesh. Hopefully, no more illegal migration will happen now,” Kamal said.
A Foreign Ministry official asking not to be named said that Bangladesh wants to draw the attention of the international community over the Myanmar crisis instead of making it a bilateral issue.
“We believe the Rohingya issue never can be settled bilaterally, so it needs international interference,” the official added.
Despite tight security along the Myanmar border, many Rohingya families have entered Bangladesh along river routes, but the BGB pushed them back after giving humanitarian assistance.
Tension has been rife in Myanmar’s border areas with Bangladesh since last month when several hundred militants allegedly linked to Aqa Mul Mujahidin group and RSO launched attacks on the border police and the army, resulting in the deaths of a dozen law enforcers.
The Myanmar Army has since been conducting operations in Rohingya-dominated Rakhine state to arrest the attackers.
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