Arakan News Agency
This is not the first time. After about one year, the almost exact incident has occurred along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, this time the Board Guard of Bangladesh (BGB)’s Nayek Abdur Razzak being abducted from the river Naf. There was reportedly exchange of fire between the two sides. A member of BGB, Biplob Kumar, was hit in the firing and is now in hospital. While the government hasn’t been clear about the exchange of fire and the abduction, it is apparent from media reports, BGB and other sources of information, that this was a pre-planned operation of BGP and they had entered Bangladesh territory, prepared.
The comment made by the state minister of our government, immediately after the abduction and firing, was shocking, to say the least. He casually remarked, “This was just a misunderstanding.” The honorable minister perhaps wanted to make light of the incident in public, but the incident was certainly not a light one. One doesn’t have to be an expert to comprehend that. With a minimum military understanding, I have felt from the outset of the incident that Myanmar is steadily becoming hostile towards Bangladesh on our south-east border. In May last year, a mid-level officer of BGB, Nayek Subedar Mizanur Rahman, was abducted from the Bandarban-Myanmar border with no instigation whatsoever, and was later killed. It was only after much bargaining that his body was returned by the BGP authorities. That time too, our government was hardly active about the incident.
Now a similar incident has taken place once again a year on, but the home ministry has not acted as it should have. It seems as if the ministry has left the entire matter to BGB, sitting back and waiting for the ‘misunderstanding’ to be sorted out.
The Myanmar government has made it clear just how far this was a ‘misunderstanding’. As there is an absence of accountability in the country, important persons make comments on the spur of the moment about sensitive issues, without thinking twice. Not everyone has to know about everything, but they never try to consult or discuss before making such statements.
From media reports it can be gathered that our diplomatic activities have considerable limitations. This is limited to a handful of countries. In recent times, relations with Myanmar have deteriorated over the Rohingya issue, though the present government has hardly applied any pressure on Myanmar regarding the Rohingyas.
Meanwhile, Myanmar is continuing in this uncalled for behaviour along the border.
Myanmar did not respond to Bangladesh’s so-called diplomatic appeal. On the contrary, they added salt to the wound by publishing such a picture of Nayek Razzak in the social media, a lot like an international terrorist. The papers in which the picture was published there, are said to be backed by the military in Myanmar.
The picture of Razzak published in the papers has undoubtedly invoked the wrath of the patriotic people. The local people have already expressed their outrage. The law enforcement forces, including BGB, are a symbol of an independent country’s sovereignty. BGB in particular is an important symbol of sovereignty, for which the national flag is hoisted at every post or BOP, a provision not applied at that level by other forces. So the member of any BOP is part of that symbol. By publishing this picture of Nayek Razzak, Myanmar has hit at Bangladesh’s honour. He is not just any person, he is the member of a regular force. We do not know how the higher levels of the government view this.
An independent and sovereign country cannot accept Myanmar’s actions. Not only on a humanitarian level, but it is also a violation of UN norms. There are questions as to whether Myanmar is carrying out these incidents with Bangladesh just to direct international attention away from its own failure. It is logical for many to believe that after the Indian army operation at its north-west border, Myanmar wants to divert attention away from this by publicising the border unrest with Bangladesh. It is hard to say how plausible this view is, but there is no doubt that the Myanmar government wholly supports the incident.
A few days ago in parliament, Haji Selim MP expressed the dismay of the nation at the abduction of Nayek Razzak, the publishing of his picture and our government’s helplessness. He said that the handcuff on Nayek Razzak’s wrists were shackles on the entire 160 million population. He even questioned the efficacy of BGB. Haji Selim was quite right. He questioned BGB’s abilities, but the issue that he didn’t raise was the regular use of BGB to control political unrest within the country, though it was a paramilitary force whose main responsibility was to guard the borders in times of peace and remain at the border as a symbol of the state’s sovereignty.
After the refurbishment of BGB, it has not been able to attain the previous level of training. Over about one fourth of the force comprises extremely new soldiers. It takes time for a force to mature after being restructured. If the force is involved in other activities, it will definitely affect the training.
The concerned persons will surely offer an explanation as to how the Myanmar border guards snatched a BGB soldier on patrol. But Myanmar has proved in the past that it is capable of such incidents. We should have been more alert, particularly after the Rohingya human trafficking issue and the resulting crisis in East Asia. Myanmar is under international pressure due to the boatloads of refugees and the eviction of Rohingyas from Arakan. It failed in its attempts to pass these Rohingyas off as Bangladeshi nationals. Nayek Razzak was abducted as a backlash of this. A news item in Burma Times on 22 June, reports that as a condition to releasing Nayek Razzak, the Myanmar government has added that the rescued 555 persons must be accepted as Bangladeshis. The paper reports that the two countries are negotiating on the matter behind the scenes.
BGB affirmed the report recently, rejecting the condition on the grounds that these were two entirely different issues. The government hasn’t made any comment on such an insulting proposal that has the people shocked.
Myanmar’s behaviour amounts to blackmailing. The government must take stern action against this. A sovereign country can’t blackmail another sovereign country in this manner. This is a blatant violation of the UN and other international human rights charters. This proposal must be rejected outright. In recent development, Myanmar border guards have agreed to a flag meeting which is scheduled to take place on Thursday.
It is unfortunate that BGP (Myanmar’s Border Guard Police) are involved in the human trafficking along the border and, within Bangladesh, influential persons of the region are also involved. Certain dishonest members of the law enforcement agencies are also involved. The media reports on the involved of an MP too. Yet no legal action is being taken against them. We must keep in mind, if we can’t keep the order of our own house, others will take advantage of our weakness. The incident with Myanmar is an example.
The 160 million people of our country stand beside Nayek Razzak and his family. We appeal to the government to expose Myanmar’s inhuman behaviour on an international level. And the Myanmar government must be told in no uncertain terms that it is their responsibility to return Nayek Razzak unharmed. We must remain alert so no such incident recurs along our border.
M Sakhawat Hossain: Retired Brigadier General, former election commissioner and columnist.
Source : prothom-alo
