DhakaTribune, June 20, 2024

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said that both theMyanmar Army and the Arakan Army have been warned not to fire at Bangladesh. Ifthey do, Bangladesh will retaliate.

He made these remarks in response to a question at the homeministry office in the Secretariat on Thursday.

The home minister explained that various ethnic groups arefighting against the Myanmar government. The Arakan Army has reportedlycaptured many areas in Rakhine State, causing the Border Guard Police (BGP) ofMyanmar to flee toward the Bangladeshi border for protection.

"We cannot say exactly what the situation isthere," he said, adding: "But I can confirm that they sometimesmistakenly fired at our BGB team. We have informed them not to shoot if theysee the Bangladesh flag."

Regarding the Naf River, the home minister mentioned thatsome navigable sections have been lost on the Bangladeshi side, affectingpassage from Teknaf to Saint Martin’s. This necessitates crossing throughMyanmar's territory, contributing to the problem.

He said: “Sometimes the Myanmar Army, sometimes the ArakanArmy open fire. We have told both that if they shoot, we will shoot back. Thetwo Myanmar ships that were here have been taken back. We hope there will be nomore shooting. Nevertheless, those traveling through that route should remaincautious.”