Cox’s Bazaar: A day-long sector-commander level flag meeting between the border security forces of Burma and Bangladesh was held yesterday where Nasaka, Burma’s border security force made many pledges, said a source close to Bangladeshi authorities.
 
At the meeting Nasaka officials pledged they would stop migration of Muslims from Burma into Bangladesh. This assurance came about after Bangladesh Rifles officials expressed concern over the large number of Burmese Muslims crossing the Naff River, the sources said.
 
The Nasaka also agreed to discussions to take back about 27,000 Muslim refugees from two Burmese refugee camps in southern Cox's Bazaar District.
 
Regarding the border fence issue, Nasaka officials told their Bangladesh counterparts that the aim is to prevent smuggling and human trafficking, and would not create any problems for Bangladesh.
 
Burmese officials also said that the construction of embankments and erection of fences along the Naff River was carried out under the direction of the higher authorities in Naypyidaw, the capital of Burma.
 
The source said that Nasaka officials pledged during the meeting to take action on all the requests made by BDR officials. The meeting was peacefully concluded without any war of words between the two delegations.
 
U Min Aung, a border-issues analyst, pointed out that Nasaka officials politely discuss matters at every meeting with their Bangladesh counterparts, but then take action in contravention of the agreements.
 
In the meeting, the 15-member Burmese delegation was led by Colonel Aung Gyi, while the 22-member Bangladesh delegation was led by Bangladesh Rifles Chittagong sector commander Colonel Didarul Alam Chowdhury.