In a series of diplomatic and not-so-diplomatic, rather, military tensions with Myanmar, Bangladesh has lost one of its BGB soldiers and a good number of soldiers also suffered injury as the Myanmar Border Guards Police (BGP) has opened fire. A BGB soldier had been missing since Wednesday. The Myanmar border force acknowledged that they have the body. Yet again, the BGP fired at a BGB patrol on Wednesday without an iota of provocation. The Myanmar Ambassador U Myo Myint Than was summoned twice on Thursday and Friday. But there is no sign that Myanmar is listening or willing to listen. It is evident by the facts which are expressed by the DG of BGB that BGP was not willing to cooperate, let alone communicate.There has to be a diplomatic way out of the crisis. But our Foreign Ministry is competent for what, we have yet to know. We found no adequate importance is given to diplomacy and anybody can be our Foreign Minister. We have to learn from the State Minister for Home Affairs that the recent serious incident was the result of misunderstanding. He said Myanmar misunderstood installations of 5 new border outposts (BOPs) by Bangladesh. He even claimed the situation along the border with Myanmar was normal. He dismissed any possibility of deploying our army countering a reported military deployment by the Myanmar authority along the border. It is difficult for anybody to know who is in charge of which ministry. Border Guard Bangladesh on Sunday warned Myanmar of a “befitting response” if such incidents of firing and killing take place on the border in future. Brig Gen Syed Ahmed Ali, a commander of BGB in Chittagong region, came up with the warning while addressing a press briefing at the Naikkhangchhari Battalion-31 headquarters of Bandarban. The commander said Myanmar authorities have sent a letter to the BGB to sit for a flag meeting at the country’s Bangdhu district on June 5. “We are yet to decide whether we will join the meeting,” he added.It is about time that we had a coherent policy regarding the security of our nation–we have allowed Myanmar to push in Rohingyas into Bangladesh since 1991. We have no diplomacy or diplomatic efforts to see that appropriate international attention is drawn about military provocation by Myanmar despite Bangladesh’s honest desire for a peaceful resolution of differences. We must not talk war-war when it is not an easy option.
