Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen on Tuesday said that the government had now decided to open fire at the Bangladesh-Myanmar border to check smuggling of arms and drugs and trafficking in persons.
‘It was earlier decided that Bangladesh will not open fire along the border with Myanmar. Opening fire along the border with Myanmar will only be allowed if it is used to contain crimes. I had a talk with the home minister yesterday about the matter,’ he said.
Momen came up with the comments while responding to journalists after attending a programme as chief guest to hand over the keys of two ambulances given as gifts by the Indian government to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital authorities.
When his attention was drawn to the foreign minister’s statement, home minister Asaduzzaman Khan said that he was not aware of it.
Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram K Doraiswami, Sylhet divisional commissioner Khalilur Rahman, SOMCH director brigadier general Bryan Bankim, Sylhet Medical University vice-chancellor Murshed Ahmed Chowdhury, deputy commissioner Kazi Emdadul Islam, Sylhet district Awami League president Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury, city AL president Mashuk Uddin and health department divisional officer Himangshu Lal Roy, addressed the programme, among others.
Responding to another query, the foreign minister said that killers of the Rohingya leader Muhib Ullah would be brought to book soon.
‘Incidents of murder are taking place all over the world. Bangladesh takes these matters seriously. The killers would be identified through proper investigation and punishment for the murderers would be ensured,’ he said.
The minister also blamed different non-government organisations for their apathy in sending back the Rohingyas to their own country.
‘Different countries are providing huge funds for the Rohingyas. But we are in the dark about how these funds are being spent,’ he added.
Earlier, the foreign minister in the programme expressed disappointment over the Roads and Highways Department’s failure to construct a 12km stretch of Sylhet Biman Bandar- Badaghat Bypass Road in 12 years. He also asked the officials concerned to resign from their posts.
Mentioning that the former finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith had taken this project to develop the bypass road in 2010, Momen rued over the fact that the project was not yet completed.
