Bangladesh offers Myanmar joint operations against insurgents
August 28, 2017
'We have shown our interest to help Myanmar get rid of its security concerns'
Dhaka has proposed starting a joint anti-terrorism crackdown with Yangoon especially against the Arakan Army and other insurgent outfits of Myanmar.
Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry made the proposal after summoning Myanmar’s acting ambassador in Dhaka, Aung Myint, on Monday.
An official of the ministry, requesting anonimity, said it was a completely new proposal.
“We have shown our interest to help Myanmar get rid of its security concerns,” the official added.
This was the second time the envoy was summoned to the ministry in a span of 48 hours.
In a formal letter issued to the ambassador, Bangladesh has proposed joint operation along its border with Myanmar through cooperation between the border security forces of the two countries.
Though the Myanmarese forces have been carrying out atrocities on the Rohingya minorities in the country’s Rakhine State for the last few days, Yangoon recently claimed that Bangali terrorists were doing so.
When asked if the use of the term “Bangali terrorists” was discussed, the Foreign Ministry official said: “We have expressed our grave concern about the term and asked the ambassador to tell the higher authorities of his government not to use it again.”
Bangladesh had placed another such proposal for joint operation to Myanmar in August 2016, which was not that elaborative compared to the latest one.
The Border Guard Bangladesh and the Border Guard Police held a meeting on this issue in April this year, which ended without any decision.
