Dhaka: Military mobilization along the western Burmese border with Bangladesh is a routine movement of the Burmese army, not a military build-up, said Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni.
The foreign minister made a statement about the situation during a press briefing at the foreign ministry of Bangladesh in Dhaka on Sunday.
Dipu Moni said, "I had talks with our ambassador from Myanmar, who is an army general, and he told me that it was routine practice, not a military build-up."
According to an official source, Burmese ambassador to Bangladesh, U Pe Than Oo, was called to the Bangladesh foreign ministry last Thursday to give notice of arbitration and a statement of claim regarding a maritime dispute between the two countries.
During his visit, the foreign minister asked him about the issue of army mobilization along the Bangladesh border.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu also said that the Burmese envoy in Dhaka conveyed the same message to Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Miajrul Quayes when he inquired about the matter.
In the last few weeks, the Burmese military junta has deployed many additional army forces with heavy arms along the border from Maungdaw to Pelatwa Township.
Analysts believe the Burmese army mobilization is related to Bangladesh's decision to solve the maritime boundary dispute in a United Nations tribunal.
On 8 October, Bangladesh sought UN arbitration to settle the maritime dispute between the two neighbors.
However, Foreign Minister Dipu rejected speculation during the press briefing that the troop mobilization had links to Dhaka's move to seek UN arbitration on the maritime issue.
Dipu stated that the fence construction being undertaken by the Burmese authority within their own territory and in conformity with international rules and the ministry had nothing more to say about it.
The Bangladesh foreign minister will meet with her Burmese counterpart on the sidelines of the Asian Cooperation dialogue to be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 15 October.
In the press briefing, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni also said that Bangladesh has no officially proposed that China mediate the maritime boundary dispute between Bangladesh and Burma.
