The detained Burmese are Muslims from Shin Kali Village in southern Maungdaw Township in Arakan State. Among the 70 are 25 adult men, 20 adult women, and 25 children, the report said.
The arrest was made by Bangladesh Rifles battalion 42 stationed on the Teknaf border at 12 pm on the day, after they received a tip off that Burmese nationals were entering the Bangladesh mainland from the island of Shapuri by machine boats.
The battalion commander was reported to have said that they had to arrest the Burmese nationals for entering Bangladesh illegally. The authorities are now questioning the detained individuals.
The Bangladesh government has been using a new strategy while dealing with undocumented migrants, particularly Burmese Muslims. They are being pushed back across the border when attempting to enter instead of being arrested. There is no information regarding whether this particular group will be pushed back to Burma or tried in Bangladeshi courts.
