Dhaka - The government of Bangladesh on Monday asked Myanmar
to clarify a planned border fence along the no-man's land along the
two countries' shared border, officials said.
'We asked for an official version of the construction site of the
fencing as Myanmar has given various versions of the location of
fencing,' Bangladeshi State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hasan Mahmud
told a press conference.
Myanmar ambassador in Dhaka Phae Thann Oo met Sunday with
Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary Touhid Hossain and verbally
communicated his government's plan undertaken to stop smuggling.
The state minister said Yangon informed Dhaka that the fencing
will be 100 metres from the border line. But earlier they gave a
different version and the media reported that the fencing was planned
along the zero lines.
'Now we need to know the facts,' Mahmud said.
The ministry also summoned the Myanmar's envoy for an explanation,
and a meeting is scheduled for Tuesday morning, officials said.
Bangladesh officials said that on March 15 Myanmar border force Na
Sa Ka began mobilizing fencing equipment at Kyin Gun village just
across the river Naaf which forms the nearby border.
They also reportedly mobilized a contingent of troops as back up
at some parts of the 180-kilometre border with Bangladesh.
Earlier in November, Dhaka protested intrusion by Myanmar ships
exploring for oil and gas in Bangladesh's territorial waters in the
Bay of Bengal.
Multi-pronged diplomatic efforts by Dhaka involving China and
South Korea forced Myanmar to pull out its exploration ships after
nearly two weeks of tensions.
Both Bangladesh and Myanmar sent warships into the disputed waters
of the Bay of Bengal at the time.
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