Thaindian News

Dhaka, Oct 22 (IANS) Bangladesh and Myanmar have sought to play down the tensions along the border in the past three weeks and have calling their troop movements “routine”.
Myanmar’s border guard Nasaka Wednesday trashed reports of troop build-up along the Bangladesh border at a battalion commander-level flag meeting with Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) at Maungdaw in Myanmar, The Daily Star newspaper said Thursday.

Quoting intelligence and official sources, the newspapers have been carrying reports of heavy build-up by the army personnel, movement of naval ships and air force fighter jets on both sides.

At the diplomatic level, however, Dhaka has played down the developments.

Foreign Minister Dipu Moni Wednesday called the movement “routine”.

“A vested quarter is out to damage the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Myanmar to serve their own interests,” she said.

She also blamed a section of the media for carrying unsubstantiated reports.

The Myanmar frontier force denied mobilising soldiers along the border but said it was supervising development activities there, said Lt. Colonel Mozammel Hossain, commanding officer of 42 Rifles Battalion, who led a 10-member Bangladesh team.

The Myanmar side, led by Lt. Col Me U, Maungdaw unit commander of Nasaka, said the current deployment of forces was made as part of a routine exercise.

The meeting was held in the wake of heightened tension following Myanmar’s military build-up along the border with Bangladesh.

The official told told media that the meeting was “fruitful”.

Nine Bangladeshi nationals, captured by Nasaka, were turned over to the BDR delegation.

A friendly volleyball match was organised between the two border forces after the flag meeting.