Tension along B'desh-Myanmar border after soldier shot dead

An investigation into the incident has been demanded

Bangladeshi paramilitary forces overnight mobilised extra troops along the southeastern frontier with Myanmar as tension mounted after a soldier was allegedly shot and killed by Myanmarese border police.

Official deployment of additional forces was ordered along Nykhangchhari border as tension mounted yesterday when Myanmar's Border Guard Police (BGP) fired gunshots on a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) patrol team, killing the Bangladeshi border guard.

The foreign ministry summoned Myanmar's ambassador in Dhaka, Than Myo Myint, yesterday evening to protest the "unprovoked action" and demanded an investigation into the incident.

The envoy was summoned as earlier reports suggested a BGB soldier who went missing was detained by Myanmar border police while he was on patrol with fellow Bangladeshi guards.

The Bangladesh embassy in Myanmar also demanded from the Myanmar foreign ministry an immediate investigation into the matter and release of the "captive" BGB member.

But BGB later told media according to the information they gathered, the missing Bangladeshi border guard Mizanur Rahman was killed in by gunshots fired by Myanmar soldiers who then took away his body.

"Through a source and interpreter, BGP is now willing to hand over the body of Mizan (to us). We want the body along with all his belongings (weapon and ammunitions)," BGB chief Major General Aziz Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune.

He added that the BGB team was in uniform while they were on patrol and were following international norms when they came under the sudden attack.

An angry Aziz said the BGB wanted a better relationship with Myanmar's border guards but they might not show restraint in future.

A local BGB commander said Rahman was carrying a submachine gun (SMG) and 120 rounds of bullets when he went missing while on patrol to enforce a vigil against intrusion of particularly the Rohingya Muslims from across the border.

He said security was also beefed up along the Myanmar border.