Dhaka (Mizzima) – Bangladesh on Monday sought an official explanation from Burma regarding the planned construction of a fence along the Bangla-Burmese border to obstruct cross-boarder smuggling, as confusion arose over details of the initiative.

Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Hasan Mahmud, told reporters they are seeking an official version as to the proposed site of the fence, as Rangoon has given varied statements concerning the location in question.

On Sunday, Burma's Ambassador to Bangladesh, Phae Thann Oo, met with the Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh, Touhid Hossain, and verbally communicated his government’s plan to stop illegal cross-border trade.

During the meeting, the ambassador informed the foreign secretary that the fence would be constructed 13 kilometers inside Burmese territory, but later retracted his statement and said the distance would instead be 13 meters.

Sowing further confusion into mix, on Monday the Burmese ambassador informed the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry that the distance of the fence from the zero point will be 100 meters into Burmese territory.

In view of this situation, the minister said, “We’ve sought official communication about the location of the fencing.”

Dr. Hasan added that if the fence is constructed 100 meters inside Burma from the zero point it will be “within diplomatic norms and we won’t have any concern.”

Bangladesh and Burma share a 180 kilometer common border. Burmese authorities have planned to construct a barbed-wire fence along a 40 kilometer stretch of the international demarcation.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry has called the ambassador for a meeting with the state minister on Tuesday to clarify Rangoon’s stance on erecting the border fence.

“The Myanmar [Burmese] ambassador has been called for a meeting with the state minister on Tuesday morning,” a senior official of the foreign ministry told Mizzima in Dhaka on Monday night.