Probable Fallout of Aug 21 Grenade Attack
Myanmar shuts transit point, W Bengal puts border on alert
Julfikar Ali Manik
Myanmar has kept its transit point with Bangladesh on Teknaf-Mongdu borderline off-limits to businesspeople and other frontier travellers for 12 days apparently amid political tempers here triggered by the August 21 grenade attack. On another front, law enforcers of nine districts in West Bengal in India have been directed to remain on the alert for any 'infiltrator' from Bangladesh. Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) officials said Myanmar border security forces, code-named Nasaka, closed the route on the morning of August 23 without prior notice. Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Abu Tasnim, commanding officer of 23rd Rifles Battalion in Teknaf, told The Daily Star by phone last night that Nasaka did not make any explanation on the move. "Nasaka officials posted to the border said they had directives from the headquarters," he said. Only trade between the two countries remains open in the border port, Tasnim said. An agreement between Myanmar and Bangladesh in 1988 allows citizens residing in eight kilometres from the borders of the two countries to travel on special transit pass. Businesspeople can also use the route only for business purpose. The BDR officials said they took the decision because of the tense political situation left by the grenade attack that killed 19 people. The officials also said they repeatedly asked Nasaka to sit in a flag meeting at the commander level to talk about the issue, but Myanmar border forces did not show interest until Thursday. Yesterday, the two sides sat at a camp-commander level flag-meeting where Bangladesh officials asked for implementation of the 1988 agreement and immediate opening of the transit point. Myanmar officials without making any decision said they would convey the proposal to the higher officials. "We are expecting another flag-meeting at the battalion commander level soon to resolve the issue," Tasnim said. INDIAN BORDER
Our Khulna correspondent said the directives of West Bengal were issued to Border Security Forces (BSF), police and intelligence agencies apparently because of the AL rally attack. The security measures taken by the Indian state created panic and mixed reactions among frontier residents, especially in the southwestern region of Bangladesh. Our correspondent in Kolkata added West Bengal strengthened the armed personnel along the 2,000km border with Bangladesh after the blast.
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