Efforts underway to resolve issues with Myanmar amicably: Kamal

Reiterating Bangladesh's stand to solve issues with Myanmar peacefully, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said on Saturday Bangladesh hoped that Myanmar would realise their mistake and refrain from doing anything in future that impeded bilateral relations, reports BSS.
"As we do not want conflict, our efforts are underway to find a peaceful solution with Myanmar. We will do everything, if required we will take it to the United Nations (UN)." he told journalists after attending a programme at Dhaka Ahsania Mission in the city.
The minister said the government strongly protested against the firing of mortar shell, which landed in Bangladesh's territory from Myanmar side, adding, "Talks are going on with the Myanmar authorities and the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry called the Myanmar envoy to inform clearly about our position."
"Our Prime Minister never wants war, we want peaceful solution. Let their internal conflict keep within their boundaries. We are always protesting what is happening in our soil from outside," he said.
Kamal said Myanmar never stands by its commitment, adding, "We're trying bilaterally and also multilaterally . . . our efforts will continue. We are trying to repatriate 12 lakh Rohingyas, who have taken shelter here, peacefully."
"Recently, Myanmar has been fighting not only with Rohingyas but also with many of their ethnic groups in Thailand, China and Mizoram. We observed that a rebel group called Arakan Army is fighting there," he said.
The minister said, "Sometimes a good relation was seen between Myanmar and Arakan Army, sometimes it turned into war. But they know the secret. Of course, their war should be within their boundaries."
He said there is a Rohingya camp on the zero line next to the Myanmar border.
Mentioning that on Friday a person was killed and some others were wounded when shells fired from Myanmar side landed in a camp, Kamal said that Bangladesh strongly condemned it.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Bandarban Yasmin Parveen Tibriji said on Saturday law enforcers were kept on alert on Bangladesh border near Myanmar here as the government is giving utmost importance to the safety of the people.
"We will take necessary measures to keep the people of the border safe. Chairman of union parishad and members of the law enforcement forces are kept alert following shells fire3d from Myanmar sided landed Ghumdhum area on Friday night," she told journalists on Saturday.
Considering the security of the local residents, the local administration changed the SSC examination centre in Ghumdhum last night as the safety of the students as well as the local public is important, she added.
A Rohingya youth was killed and five others were injured in mortar shells blast fired from Myanmar side, she said and added that 60 families from two villages on the border of Tumbra took refuge in the nearby Tumbra government primary school.
The members of these families went back to their village today, she said.
According to UNB: Voicing deep concern over the firing of mortar shells by the Myanmar Army inside Bangladesh, BNP on Saturday urged the UN and the international community to take steps to stop such insolent activities and violation of international law.
"We would like to draw the attention of the United Nations and the international community to take necessary measures to prevent such audacity of Myanmar," said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Speaking at an emergency meeting at BNP's Nayapaltan central office, he also called upon the Awami League government to take appropriate measures boldly to protect the territorial integrity of independent and sovereign Bangladesh."
The BNP leader said an alarming situation has been prevailing along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border areas due to repeated incidents of firing mortar shells into Bangladesh territory by the Myanmar Armed Forces.
He said the military aggression of the Myanmar Armed Forces, which started on August 28, has been increasing due to the weak and subservient diplomacy of the current 'illegitimate' government of Bangladesh.
"In the latest incident, a Rohingya teenager who was hit by a mortar shell fired by the Myanmar forces died yesterday (Friday) on the zero-line opposite to the Ghumdhum border in Naikhongchhari Upazila of Bandarban. Five more kids were injured in the incident," Fakhrul said.
A week after firing mortar shells along the Bangladesh border, he said the Myanmar forces repeatedly violated the airspace and fired mortar shells from warplanes and helicopters.
"The mortar shells exploded within 120 metres of Bangladesh territory near the zero-line of Naikhongchhari border in Bandarban, which is a direct violation of international law. The Myanmar forces are often firing toward Bangladesh violating the airspace. BNP strongly condemns and protests the killing of people by firing mortar shells by the Myanmar Army along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border and the violation of international law," the BNP leader said.
He also said Myanmar is showing such audacity by firing mortar shells inside Bangladesh only because of the government's knee-jerk foreign policy.