A total of 330 Myanmar nationals, including 302 BGP members, four BGP family members, two army personnel, 18 immigration members and four civilians who fled Myanmar and took shelter in Bangladesh recently, have been handed over to Border Guard Police of Myanmar today.
The handover process started from Inani Navy Jetty around 11:00am today.
In the first phase, 165 Myanmar nationals were sent from the jetty to a Myanmar Navy ship stationed in Myanmar waters by privately owned tourist ship Karnaphuli Express.
In the next phase, another 165 people will be sent back by this afternoon, said BGB Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui.
Meanwhile, BGB DG said the repatriation process has been successfully completed since all stakeholders of the government are working together in coordination and at the same time with the effort of the Myanmar government.
The BGB DG added that the weapons brought by them [Myanmar nationals] will be sent back through a separate process later.
On this occasion, Myanmar's ambassador to Bangladesh, U Aung kyaw Moe, thanked the Bangladesh government, BGB, Coast Guard and Navy for providing safe shelter to the BGP members and completing the successful repatriation process.
Earlier at 9:50am, a 5-member BGP delegation led by Myanmar Border Guard Police Colonel Myo Thura Naung arrived at Inani Naval Jetty in Cox's Bazar by a Bangladesh Coast Guard ship.
Under the leadership of Colonel Mehdi Hossain Kabir, the sector commander of Ramu sector of BGB, a repatriation committee consisting of representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of Bangladesh, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and representatives of Cox's Bazar district administration and police was formed.
The committee quickly communicated and coordinated with the concerned authorities of Myanmar and completed all the processes of repatriation of BGP and other members who took refuge in Bangladesh from Myanmar.
