Over 100 members of Myanmar’s Border Guard Police have sought refuge in Bangladesh, marking a significant development as clashes escalated between Myanmar’s security forces and the Arakan Army, an official with Bangladesh’s border agency said Monday.
Myanmar Troops Take Refuge in Bangladesh
According to Shariful Islam, the spokesperson for Border Guard Bangladesh, the Myanmar forces sought shelter during fighting with the Arakan Army in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, adjacent to Bangladesh. Islam stated that the military forces “have been disarmed and taken to safe places.” The Myanmar junta is yet to comment on the development.
The situation unfolded over the past two days as the 103 troops entered Bangladesh through the Tombru border in the Bandarban district. The Border Guard’s response aimed at providing immediate safety to those fleeing the violence while disarming them to ensure the security of both sides.
This marks the first time that Myanmar military forces have fled to Bangladesh since an alliance of ethnic minority armies launched an offensive against Myanmar’s military government in 2022, underscoring the intensification of conflict within the country.
There has been an increase in fighting in Rakhine State between Myanmar military and Arakan Army near the Bangladesh border over the past two days. Videos emerged showing Myanmar border forces fleeing into Bangladesh after the fighting. Source: https://t.co/o0BiQSaBXj pic.twitter.com/mX8JvK5DO0
— Benjamin Strick (@BenDoBrown) February 5, 2024
Aftermath, Bangladesh’s Response
In addition to the Myanmar troops fleeing to Bangladesh, two individuals, including a Bangladeshi woman and a Rohingya refugee, were reported killed in shelling from Myanmar. The incident occurred after a house in Bandarban was hit by the impact.
Responding to the situation, Bangladesh’s law minister, Anisul Huq, informed the Bangladeshi parliament that PM Sheikh Hasina had instructed the military and paramilitary border guards to exercise patience in dealing with the tensions across the border. “Bangladesh is observing the situation closely, and steps will be taken,” Huq added.
Myanmar’s ambassador to Bangladesh, U. Aung Kyaw Moe, and Deputy Foreign Minister, U. Lwin Oo, has assured the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry that they would take back their troops sheltered in Bangladesh. The ministry also issued a “note verbale” to the Myanmar envoy in Dhaka, registering a protest against bullets and mortar shells from Myanmar landing in Bangladesh.
Ethnic Armed Groups VS. Myanmar Military
Since November, the Arakan Army has been actively attacking army outposts in the western state. Its actions are part of an alliance of ethnic minority armies that launched an offensive in October, gaining strategic territory in Myanmar’s northeast bordering China.
The alliance, known as the Three Brotherhood Alliance, stated that the Arakan Army had attacked two border outposts in Maungdaw township in Rakhine state and captured one of them on Sunday.