29 Bangladeshi citizens return home from Myanmar

Twenty-nine Bangladeshi citizens have returned home on Tuesday (3 October) after serving jail terms in different prisons in Myanmar.

They came back to Bangladesh through Teknaf border following a "Battalion Commander level flag meeting" between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Border Guard Police (BGP) of Myanmar.

The steadfast and continued efforts by the Bangladesh Embassy in Yangon and its Sittwe Consulate made the latest repatriation possible after a long hiatus of 18 months when 41 Bangladeshi nationals were repatriated from Myanmar on March 23, 2022, said the Bangladesh Embassy in Yangon.

Among the returnees, 23 are from Cox's Bazar district, 4 are from Bandarban, and 2 are from Rangamati. BGP detained the Bangladeshis on charges of illegally crossing the border into Myanmar at different times.

Lt. Col. Mohiuddin, commander of BGB's Teknaf battalion, led the 10-member Bangladesh team, which included, among others, Zakir Ahmed, Consul of the Bangladesh Consulate in Sittwe, during the handing over/taking over process.

Bangladesh Ambassador to Myanmar, Dr. Md. Monwar Hossain, on September 27 met with Lt. Gen. Yar Pyae, Union Minister for Home Affairs of Myanmar, at Nay Pyi Taw and requested to facilitate the repatriation of the said Bangladeshi nationals at the earliest.

Following the meeting, the Myanmar authorities confirmed the proposed flag meeting on October 3, 2023. Bangladesh Consulate in Sittwe played an important role in this repatriation by issuing necessary travel documents and coordinating between BGP and BGB.

Bangladesh Embassy in Yangon, upon receipt of the information of the arrested reported Bangladeshi nationals, immediately takes up the issue of repatriation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs of Bangladesh for necessary information and verification of their nationality.