Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said that both the
Myanmar Army and the Arakan Army have been warned not to fire at Bangladesh. If
they do, Bangladesh will retaliate.
He made these remarks in response to a question at the home
ministry office in the Secretariat on Thursday.
The home minister explained that various ethnic groups are
fighting against the Myanmar government. The Arakan Army has reportedly
captured many areas in Rakhine State, causing the Border Guard Police (BGP) of
Myanmar to flee toward the Bangladeshi border for protection.
"We cannot say exactly what the situation is
there," he said, adding: "But I can confirm that they sometimes
mistakenly fired at our BGB team. We have informed them not to shoot if they
see the Bangladesh flag."
Regarding the Naf River, the home minister mentioned that
some navigable sections have been lost on the Bangladeshi side, affecting
passage from Teknaf to Saint Martin’s. This necessitates crossing through
Myanmar's territory, contributing to the problem.
He said: “Sometimes the Myanmar Army, sometimes the Arakan
Army open fire. We have told both that if they shoot, we will shoot back. The
two Myanmar ships that were here have been taken back. We hope there will be no
more shooting. Nevertheless, those traveling through that route should remain
cautious.”