Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh:  Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) will not be idle if Burma’s border security force (Nasaka) erects fences on the Burma-Bangladesh border areas breaking the international law, said the BDR Director Major General Moinul Islam at a meeting held in BDR 15 Battalion on May 4.

The meeting was held at Nykhonchari BDR camp under the upazila of Nykhonchari of Bandarban District after the Director had overseen the Bangladesh-Burma border and the BDR’s situation.

At the meeting, the BDR Director said that “if the Nasaka tries to erect fences on the Burma-Bangladesh border breaking the international law, we, BDR will not be sitting idle in Bangladesh soil. We have to think of new things to do. Among them, first of all, we have to block the new Rohingya exodus which will create new problems between the two countries. So, we should be very careful while handling the problem. Besides, we have to control all illegal crimes along the border. To do all these, BDR must be active and interested.”

The Director added that the Phelkhana mutiny of Dhaka destroyed the image of BDR, so it is necessary to uplift the image of BDR. About 247 BDR personnel took part in the meeting. In addition, BDR Sector Commander Col Didarul Alam, Chittagong BDR Region Commander Brigadier General Mafjur Rahman, 15-Rifles Battalion Commander Lt Col Abu Nim, Nykhonchari upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nowab Aslam  Habib, BDR 15-Battalion Magistrate Mohamed Salauddin and BDR 15-Commander attended the meeting.

The meeting started at about 6 am and concluded at around noon. After that, the 15- BDR Battalion of Nykhonchari was checked by the BDR Director.

Afterwards, the BDR Director went to BDR camps of Cox’s Bazaar BDR Battalion No. 17, Anzimon BDR BOP camp, Palong Khali BDR BOP camp and Whukon BDR BOP camp and held meetings with BDRs and gave necessary directions and advice. In the meeting of the BDR Border outpost camps (BOP), Chittagong Sector commander Col Dedarul Alam, Cox’s Bazaar BDR 17 Battalion Commander Lt Col Shakawat Sha, Teknaf BDR 42 Battalion Commander Lt Col Abdul Khalek attended. The meeting began at about 4 pm and came to an end an hour later, according to a BDR official.

Besides, the BDR Director observed erecting of fences by Nasaka in Burma side near the Anzimon BDR border outpost camp.

It coincided with the Western Command Commander Brig General Thaung Aye visiting Northern Arakan on May 4, to oversee the situation of erecting fences on the Burma-Bangladesh border, said a close Nasaka aide from Maungdaw town.