After nearly a week of unusual troop movements near the international border with Myanmar, the Bangladesh government revealed it has made preparations to face any situation that may arise.
Myanmar lost its credibility with the international community since the August 2017 Rohingya influx in to Bangladesh.
Intelligence agencies believe Myanmar deployed the troops for a major operation against the Arakan Army in the backdrop of reports that the rebel group captured two government troops suspected of carrying out war crimes against the Rohingya minority. Those two suspects were handed over to the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for further investigation in the Netherlands.
Bangladeshi forces have made all preparations to avert any situations that could potentially mimic the previous influx of hundreds of thousands of foreigners in to the country.
34 Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Battalion asked their Myanmar counterparts for a flag meeting but has not received any response yet. The 34 BGB Battalion CO assured his forces are well prepared along the border.
Bangladesh has communicated its strong displeasure regarding the deployment of Myanmar Army troops on its frontier with Myanmar’s ambassador. The Ambassador was asked the convey Bangladesh’s concerns with higher authorities in his country.
Dhaka believes Myanmar possibly deployed the troops for operations in Rakhine and Chin states however given their past record it will not take any chance with Naypyidaw.
Bangladesh’s Armed Forces have been alerted to deal with any misadventure from across the border in a befitting manner.
Both the government and military remain tight lipped about possible measures and actions they would take if Myanmar troops cause another influx or directly attack Bangladesh.
A retired military official told Defseca.com that this time Myanmar would have to “pay a costly price” for any misadventure.
Myanmar’s growing international isolation may force the country to act unpredictable like a rogue nation. This may however put it at loggerheads with China and India, which have invested billions in to Myanmar.
Military action against Myanmar is almost guaranteed to hurt investment of Myanmar’s main foreign backers.
