Another 88 BGP members take refuge in Bangladesh in a day

At least 88 members of the Myanmar’s border security force Border Guard Police (BGP) have escaped to Bangladesh with weapons through Shahpari island of Teknaf border in Cox's Bazar.

Coast Guard members have taken the BGP members into custody, said Coast Guard Chittagong East Zone Media Officer Lt Tahsin Rahman on Sunday (May 5) afternoon.

Coast Guard took them into custody when crossing the border they reached Bangladesh by three wooden trawlers on Sunday (May 5) morning.

However, a Coast Guard source said that the process of disarming the BGP members who came to Bangladesh and handing them over to the BGB is underway.

Yesterday also, 40 BGP members fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar to save their lives. They entered Bangladesh through different border points of Teknaf. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) took them into custody, said local sources. However, no statement has been received from BGB yet.

The 40 BGP members took refuge in Bangladesh from 1:00pm on Friday to 9:00am on Saturday. The have been kept at Hnila High School in the upazila.

Director General of the Myanmar wing of the Foreign Ministry Md Mainul Kabir told reporters that like last Saturday, BGP members took refuge in Bangladesh today (Sunday) also. They are under the custody of BGB.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Teknaf Md Adnan Chowdhury said, “Through local people, I have heard that 80 to 90 BGP members have taken refuge in Bangladesh today. However, the matter is being looked into by the Coast Guard and BGB.

Earlier, 618 BGP and army personnel and customs officers who escaped Myanmar in two rounds have been sent back. Of them, 288 people were sent back to Myanmar on April 25 and 330 on February 15.