Sagar Biswas :
The crisis that triggered centering the release of abducted Border Guard Bangladesh [BGB] Nayek Abdur Razzak is likely to resolve soon as Myanmar authorities have responded to hold a flag meeting with Bangladesh over the issue.
Myanmar’s Border Guard Police [BGP] on Tuesday sent a letter to BGB authorities expressing their desire to hold a flag meeting on Thursday [June 25] in this regard in Myanmar’s bordering district Maungdaw, official sources said.
“The BGP has requested us to send the names of delegation members who will take part in the flag meeting. We have decided to send a five-member delegation led by BGB Teknaf Commander. The list will be sent on Wednesday [today],” Director General of BGB Major General Abdul Aziz said.
Meanwhile, Ye Htut, Information Minister and spokesperson for the Myanmar President has categorically denied of setting any condition by his government for the release of Abdur Razzak.
“We haven’t given any such condition to Bangladesh. I hope, the two countries will sit in a meeting over the issue where the Myanmar authorities will hand over BGB man Razzak……There is no condition over the release of BGB personnel,” he said.
The Presidential spokesman also said that the issues of Razzak and fortune seeker migrants are two separate issues.
Bangladesh, however, has said that it will not bring back the abducted Nayek Razzak according to the conditions given by Myanmar BGP.
“Nayek Razzak will be returned only through holding flag-meetings between the authorities of the two countries… I like to ensure the countrymen that the BGB man will be brought back soon. Efforts are going on to bring him back,” State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said on Tuesday.
His statement came at a time when Myanmar authorities reportedly set condition to hand over Nayek Razzak in exchange of taking back 555 fortune seekers, who were rescued by the Myanmar Navy from the Andaman Sea, recently.
Myanmar authorities earlier also said that Razzak would be punished under their existing laws and might be handed over to Bangladesh authorities after completion of the trial.
In this backdrop, Asaduzzaman Khan said, “I have come to know that they [Myanmar] have set a condition to Razzak’s return. Earlier, on various occasions, they also raised same demands. We’ll bring them [migrants] back on confirmation that they’re really Bangladeshis.”
Expressing dissatisfaction, Asaduzzaman Khan also said that Myanmar is doing ‘excesses’ as the issue of Razzak and those 555 men are ‘quite different’.
Answering to a question, he said a flag meeting between BGB and BGP will be held soon to bring back Razzak.
Meanwhile, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam has urged the countrymen to “keep faith” in the government about bringing back abducted Abdur Razzak.
“The government will bring Razzak back home from Myanmar in a short time,” he opined.
In his latest Facebook status posted on Tuesday, Shahriar Alam said: “Naik Abdur Razzak will be brought back home very soon. Process is going on in this regard.”
“Every country should abide by the clauses of ‘Vienna Convention’ regarding the relationship between the two countries. Moreover, there is way to remind of the convention if any country violates or forgets the clauses, he said in the facebook post.
He continued, “We are aware of the dignity of our citizens, officials and defence members……….Patience, strategy and correct decision are necessary to settle such kind of situation. I know that a citizen may not understand these things. But I would like to say to them: Keep trust on us.”
Earlier on Monday, the Director General of BGB confirmed that Myanmar’s BGP will unconditionally release the BGB member.
The BGB Naik, along with his SMG, was abducted by Myanmar’s BGP in the Naf River near Jadimura area of Teknaf border in Cox’s Bazar on June 17. In the skirmish, a BGB member named Biplob was shot by the members of the Myanmar force.
BGB sent an e-mail and several fax messages to Myanmar following day. Later, the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry summoned the Myanmar ambassador to Dhaka to protest the border shooting and abduction on Thursday.
