Myanmar hands over Bangladesh paramilitary soldier's body

Dhaka, June 1: Myanmar's border force Saturday handed over the body of a paramilitary troop who was killed in Wednesday's firing on Bangladesh paramilitary personnel.

he body was handed over in the evening, hours after Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Myanmar's envoy to Dhaka to protest the firing.

"BGP (Myanmar's Border Guard Police ) has handed over the body of our Nayek Subedar Mizanur Rahman," Xinhua quoted Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Director General Major General Aziz Ahmed as telling journalists in a press briefing Saturday evening.

"We've come to know from reliable sources that they (Myanmar) have deployed army troops along with the border guards in border camps. They must withdraw troops from the border. In line with an agreement with us they can't deploy troops in border."

Ahmed said, "We won't take any provocative measure. Hope the BGP will also act responsively," he said, adding, "But we'll not sit idly if affected."

According to him, the four more BGB soldiers who went missing after the incident have been found alive. They are all well despite sustaining minor injuries, he said.

A BGB official who preferred to be unnamed said over phone from Painchhari area of Bandarban, some 316 km southeast of capital Dhaka, that tensions are still running high in the area.

Bangladesh and Myanmar forces traded gunfire along their border Friday for hours.

A commander-level meeting which is slated for June 3 will talk over this incident, Ahmed said.

IANS