June 10, 2024
COX’S BAZAR – A total of 134 members of the Border Guard Police (BGP) and the junta of Myanmar who crossed the border and took shelter in Bangladesh to escape the fighting between the junta and the Arakan Army, were sent back to their homeland yesterday.
In exchange, 45 Bangladeshis imprisoned in Myanmar have returned home from the neighbouring country.
Around 12:30pm, Bangladeshi ship Karnaphuli Tug-1 carrying the 134 Myanmar nationals left the BIWTA jetty in Nunyarchhara in Cox’s Bazar town.
They would return on a Myanmar Navy ship stationed in Myanmar waters in the Bay of Bengal.
Earlier around 7:00am, they were brought to BIWTA jetty under tight security of BGB in four buses.
Later, around 9:50am, 45 Bangladeshis returned home from Myanmar after serving a long time in prison. The Bangladeshis were brought back by the same Bangladeshi ship from Myanmar Navy ships stationed in Myanmar waters.
Confirming the matter, Cox’s Bazar Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Yamin Hossain, said that the process of handing over Myanmar citizens who have taken refuge in Bangladesh and Bangladeshis imprisoned in Myanmar has been completed.
Earlier on April 25, 288 BGP and army personnel who took refuge in Bangladesh returned to Myanmar in the second phase. 173 Bangladeshis returned home from Myanmar after their imprisonment.
Before that, on February 15, Bangladesh sent back 330 BGP, army and customs officials who had taken refuge in Bangladesh.