Bangladesh, Myanmar to remove border mines

By Mainul Islam Khan

DHAKA, Bangladesh

Bangladesh and Myanmar’s border forces have agreed to work together to remove mines and improvised explosive devices near the shared border, according to local media reports on Thursday.

News website bdnews24.com reported that the Border Guard Bangladesh’s additional director-general made the announcement during a press conference on Thursday, following a five-day border conference.

"We agreed on various measures during the conference, including the removal of IEDs and land mines planted near the border and the organization of regular patrols," Brig. Gen. Md. Anisur Rahman reportedly said.

Rahman said the two countries were also committed to fighting drug trafficking, and agreed to work together to decrease the number of Myanmar residents illegally crossing into Bangladesh.

"There is no longer any unrest in Maungdaw [area of northern Rakhine State in Myanmar]," said Rahman. "We have agreed to work together to establish communications with the other party and prevent illegal border crossings if unusual circumstances, such as those of last year, crop up once again."

Security forces had placed Rakhine’s Maungdaw area -- predominately inhabited by Rohingya Muslims -- on lockdown for nearly five months following Oct. 9 attacks near the border with Bangladesh.

During the military operations, the UN and rights groups documented evidence of widespread abuses such as killings -- including those of children and babies -- gang rape, beatings, the burning of villages and disappearances.

Since then, a new wave of Rohingyas, estimated at around 65,000, have crossed the border into Bangladesh.

Bangladesh and Myanmar share a 271-km (168 miles) border, with more than half of it being composed of jungles, mountains and other remote areas.