B'desh accuses Myanmar of military buildup at border; mobilises extra forces

Bangladesh today said it has mobilised extra forces on frontiers after Myanmar's military buildup across its border where thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees are living in tents and summoned the neighbouring country's envoy in Dhaka for a clarification on the issue.
"We have mobilised extra forces on the Myanmar borders," Paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh's (BGB) deputy chief Brigadier General Majibur Rahman told a media briefing in Dhaka.
"We are on alert on the frontiers in view of the situation."
He said BGB asked its Myanmar counterparts to join an "urgent flag meeting" to clarify the buildup of extra forces, equipped with heavy weapons, since this morning.

"We cannot tell you the exact number of (Myanmar soldiers mobilised on borders) but whatever the number, it is more than what is normal (and) Myanmar violated border norms by deploying the extra forces," Rahman said.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, however, ruled out possibilities of any disorder against the backdrop of Myanmar's military buildup saying there is no scope for them (Myanmar forces) to "create anarchy intruding Bangladesh".

"We have talked with concerned authorities of Myanmar (over the military buildup)...They informed us the drill is being carried out as some Rohingyas of their country are staying at no man's land," he told newsmen at a separate BGB function near the northeastern port city of Chittagong.

"There is no reason to be worried about."
The BGB official, however, told the briefing that their note also demanded an explanation on "what other reasons prompted them for the troops' mobilization on borders."
Media reports earlier said Myanmar officials have been using loudspeakers to urge about 6,000 Rohingyas in the no man's land to enter Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Foreign ministry officials said they summoned Myanmar's ambassador Lwin Oo to the foreign office and lodged a formal protest over the unusual security buildup on its borders.
"We sought Myanmar's clarification and told him (envoy) that this development was not good for bilateral relations...A note verbale was handed over to him protesting their troops' mobilisaiton," acting foreign secretary rear admiral (retd) Khurishid Alam told newsmen.

Officials familiar with the situation at the scene said Myanmar mobilised extra security forces on the border ignoring a request by Bangladesh during the last month's home minister level meeting in Dhaka to refrain from such actions.
About 700,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees fled their home to take refuge in Bangladesh after the Myanmar military launched a security crackdown in northern Rakhine state in August last year.