Jt operation begins near Myanmar border Campaign aims to flush out extremists, drug and human traffickers [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Jt operation begins near Myanmar border Campaign aims to flush out extremists, drug and human traffickers

Local July 06, 2015

Border Guard Bangladesh backed by the army has begun a ‘search and destroy’ operation in Thanchi of Bandarban bordering Myanmar to demolish the possible hideouts of militant and organised crime groups in the remote hilly areas, the officials said.
The operation aims to flush out suspected trans-boundary militants, drug smugglers and human traffickers believed to be active along the border, BGB director general Major General Aziz Ahmed told New Age.
The BGB chief said, ‘We are not going to allow any activities against our country or any friendly neighbours.’
In June, the Indian Border Security Force at a flag meeting at Shillong in the Indian state of Meghalaya handed over to the BGB a list of 66 camps of Indian insurgent groups which India said were operating from Bangladesh.
The officials said the Myanmar authorities in separate flag meetings also had complained of the presence of illegal camps of rebel and terrorist outfits, including Rohingya Solidarity Organisation and the Arakan Army, in Bangladesh.
‘Through the operation, we want to assure our neighbours that there is no room for the criminals and militant outfits in our territory,’ said a senior BGB official.
Rapid Action Battalion and Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan police recently arrested several dozen people believed to have links with the banned local and international Islamist and militant outfits, raising fears of a significant presence of such groups in Bangladesh.
Besides, BGB was hunting drug smugglers and human traffickers along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.
Human trafficking from Bangladesh has already tarnished the country’s image internationally after hundreds of people trafficked from Bangladesh were found adrift at sea.
BGB had handed over the list of three dozen Yaba producing factories inside Myanmar but the Myanmar side was yet to inform them whether the factories were crushed.
In May, BGB seized 2, 63, 452 pieces of Yaba tablets. Police in Bangladesh were also found involved in carrying Yaba after the RAB detained two men, including Mahfuzur Rahman, assistant sub-inspector of Dhaka metropolitan police special branch, with 6.8 lakh pieces of Yaba tablet in Feni in June.
Bangladesh shares 193 kilometres of border with Myanmar while 4,053 kilometres with India.
The BGB said about 429 kilometres remain unguarded.
Officials at the BGB headquarters told New Age that they had already informed Myanmar authorities about the operation near their border to avoid any ‘misunderstanding.’
The operation would continue until July 12 but might extend to July 14, said the border force chief.
The BGB headquarters said another operation was conducted near bordering Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban in May in the face of Rohignya influx and an alarming rise in the smuggling of Yaba tablets from Myanmar. Some 737 Myanmar nationals, mostly Rohingya Muslims, were pushed back, according to officials.
In March, there was a heavy fighting between Myanmar government troops and the rebel Arakan Army in the western part of that country, according to the Myanmar media report.
The BGB officials said Myanmar also recently had launched a similar operation along their side of the border.
The officials said the army-backed BGB troops would carry out the operation on foot with heavy weapons in the remote hilly areas, including Madak, while boats would be used in many other places, including connecting cannels or rivers.
Helicopters would be deployed for emergency evacuation and supply of rations, the officials said.
Four platoons of army and 16 platoons of BGB engaging around 600 troopers have already mobilised in the strategic locations and the operation would begin in full gear on Monday in the area bordering Rakhine state of Myanmar, the officials said.
Both Bangladesh and Myanmar had witnessed at least three major troubles in last one year between their border forces despite taking confidence-building measures.
On June 25, Myanmar authorities released BGB nayek Abdur Razzak nine days after his abduction by the Myanmar border guards. An exchange of fire between the two forces on June 17 during an anti-smuggling drive by Bangladesh had led to his capture.
In May 2014, BGB nayek Mizanur Rahman died in Naikhyanchari border in Bandarban during another incident between the two border forces.