Border guards have been deployed at the St Martin’s Island of Cox’s Bazar for the first time in over two decades.

A spokesperson for the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) told Bangla Tribune that troops were deployed on Sunday (Apr 7).

“Rohingyas have been held from island several times by the coast guard, police and BGB. There have been incidents of robberies as well. The only law enforcing establishment on the island is a camp of the Teknaf Police Station. The government now feels to ratchet up security on the island,” the border force’ Public Relation Officer Muhammad Mohsin Reza said.

Up until 1997, the then Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) had been posted at the island.

In 2018, neighboring Myanmar published a map where they claimed the northeastern island on Bay of Bengal as their own.

On Oct 6, the Bangladeshi government summoned the then Myanmar envoy and condemned the matter after which it was removed from their maps.

St Martin, popular for its scenic beauty and was part of India during the partition of Myanmar and India in 1937.

It became a part of Pakistan during the partition of 1947 and has been Bangladeshi territory after the 1971 War of Independence.