Hours after Border guards were deployed at the St Martin’s Island of Cox’s Bazar for the first time in over two decades, the government has said the troops will remain posted till further notice.
“The government is on alert over the issue of Myanmar’s claim on the St Martin’s Island and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members will be there until further instruction is issued,” Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told Bangla Tribune on Sunday (Apr 7) evening.
“Our border ends at the St Martin’s Island, where border troops had been deployed previously,” said Khan adding they deemed deployment of BGB was ‘necessary’.
Speaking of Myanmar’s claim on the St Martin’s Island twice, the minister said they have kept the issue in mind.
“We have deployed BGB to ensure security to St Martin’s Island,” he added.
Early in the day, BGB member were posted at the St Martin’s Island.
“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.