Myanmar agrees for flag meeting

Almost a week after the abduction of Abdur Razzak, Myanmar today asked for the list of Bangladesh delegation for a flag meeting over his handover, the chief of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has said.

“Half an hour before Iftar, our local battalion in Teknaf received a letter from Myanmar Border Guard Police asking for the names of a delegation for a flag meeting to bring back Razzak,” Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed, BGB Director General, told The Daily Star over the phone.  

He said they will send a delegation of five to six members, headed by Lt Col Abu Jar al Zahid, commanding officer of 42 Rifles Battalion, and the names will be sent by tomorrow morning.

According to a top BGB source, the Myanmar’s letter reads the flag meet will be held at Maungdaw day after tomorrow. But the BGB officials are unwilling to disclose the date yet as it might change for any unexpected reason.

Since BGB Nayek Razzak was abducted by the Myanmar border force on June 17 from the Naf River inside Bangladesh territory, the BGB had been requesting for a flag meeting to bring back Razzak with his licensed arms and ammunition. But Myanmar was dillydallying on the plea, saying some official formalities are the reasons of the delay.

On Monday, Myanmar BGP tagged a condition that it will release Razzak if Bangladesh takes in 550 boatpeople found adrift at sea. They are among the 727 rescued by the Myanmar Navy from the Andaman Sea.

State Minister for Home Assaduzzaman Khan Kamal today said Myanmar is “going too far” by attaching a condition to release abducted BGB Nayek Abdur Razzak.

“Now tagging that with Razzak’s issue…we think they went too far and were asking for too much,” Kamal said while talking to reporters after the 27th meeting of National Acid Control Council at the Secretariat.

“We’ll bring them [the boatpeople] back on confirmation that they’re Bangladeshis,” he said, adding that they [Myanmar] agreed to treat the issues separately.

Earlier on Monday, BGB Director General Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed also stated that Razzaq will be returned honourably with his personal weapon, ammunition etc unconditionally.

Razzak was abducted following what the Bangladesh government says was a shooting in the Naf River at Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf on Jun 17 between border patrols.

A BGB soldier was shot in the incident caused by a “misunderstanding”, while Nayek Razzak was abducted by Myanmar’s BGP.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam wrote on his facebook wall: “Nayek Abdur Razzak would be brought back soon. Arrangements are on. There is a Vienna Convention about the relationship of two countries and everybody should obey that. Disobeyed, there are also arrangements. We are aware of the dignity of our citizens, officials and members of the forces. Solving such issues requires patience, strategies and right decision. I know a citizen may not want to understand these facts. Have faith, I would tell them.”

In another development, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) expressed concerns and resentment over the incident of not returning the BGB nayek.

In a statement, it said Myanmar authorities did not hand over Nayek Razzak even six days after the incident and that they are dillydallying over the issue.

“The commission thinks such incident is a clear violation of international law and human rights,” the statement added.

Besides, the NHRC believed that the way Myanmar authorities presented Nayek Razzak in the social networking sites; it demeaned his human rights and human dignity.

The commission requested the Myanmar authorities to hand over Razzak to Bangladesh in sound physical condition.

It also drew attention of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission so that the Myanmar’s commission request its government to send Nayek Razzak back.

RAZZAK FAMILY WORRIED

Razzak's father Tofazzal Hossain today said they were seriously worried after hearing that BGP attached a condition with the release of Razzak, reports our Natore correspondent.

He said BGB personnel are assuring about Razzak’s release but there is no positive result yet.

“We are hopeful that Razzak will be released soon. But their dirty conditions to release him makes us upset,” he said and demanded immediate release of his son.