BGB on alert along border with Myanmar

The members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been put on alert in Bandarban along the border with Myanmar.

The alert was issued after the detention of Myanmar’s National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint by the country’s military and the military coup in the country.

Lt Col Ali Haider, commander of Cox’s Bazar BGB’s 34th Battalion, confirmed the information on Monday (February 1st) evening.

He said, “Panic has gripped residents of the Myanmar-Bandarban border area of Naikhyangchari since Monday morning following the Myanmar military coup. Many expressed concern over the incident. As a result, BGB has been put on alert at Tumbru Ghumdhum, Chakdhala and Ashartoli border to avoid any untoward incident at Naikhyangchari upazila border in the district.”

Tensions between the NLD led civil government and the powerful military continue to rise over the November 8 election.

Although Suu Kyi’s party won a majority of 364 seats in the election, the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has been accused of fraud and vote-rigging since the beginning. There was a lot of tension between the army and the NLD over the issue.

Following this, the country’s army has taken over the power by declaring a state of emergency in Myanmar for a year. The state of emergency was declared on Monday morning after the arrest of several people, including Aung San Suu Kyi, head of the ruling NLD, and the country’s President Win Myint. Since Monday (February 1) morning, the BGB has increased security at various important points on the Bandarban border.

“This is an internal issue of Myanmar. Our border situation is normal. Even then, we are cautious,” said Lt Col Ali Haider, commander of 34 Battalion of the Cox'’s Bazar BGB.