The recent border dispute between Bangladesh and Myanmar posing a serious security threat to the whole reason. To talk on this Eurasia Diary exclusively talked with senior journalist Ferdous Ahmad Bhuiyan from Dhaka Bangladesh.
Eurasia Diary: What is latest border dispute and clash between Bangladesh and Myanmar? What is the cause of this dispute?
Ferdous Ahmad: The major cause of Bangladesh and Myanmar border clash is mainly Rohingya Muslims, Rakhine district in Myanmar, Muslim majority district. Myanmar government and army accused that Rakhine state or Rohingya Muslim. They wanted to stay in Rakhine (Arakan) area. They also accused the Arakan Muslim or Rohingya Muslim wanted to stay in Rakhine area and they are living in Bangladesh area. About half million Rohingya Muslims live in Bangladesh as refugee and they are forced to live in Bangladesh and they are coming from Myanmar since 1970th. They are tortured by Myanmar government and army because of being Muslims. Myanmar government is blaming that these Rohingya Muslims are in a region of Bangladesh. But they are not Bangladeshis and they are Myanmar Muslims and they live in Arakan area which was called Arakan Muslim state, but now called Arakan state. Arakan Muslims are Myanmar original Muslims, but Myanmar government is calling them that they are Bangladeshis and Bengali Muslims and this is not real fact.
Eurasia Diary: Why Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina banned the coming of Rohingya Muslims into the Bangladeshi territory?
Ferdous Ahmad: Rohingya Muslims are Myanmar citizens; they have removed back by Bangladesh government and United Nations (UN) and other organizations try to back them to Myanmar. But Myanmar government is not eager to accept them. For this reason, about half million Rohingya Muslims are living in Bangladesh Southeastern part of Bangladesh as refugee. There are a lot of refugee camps in this area for only Rohingya Muslims. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees- UNHCR support Rohingya Muslims as refugee. This is internal issue too and not only Bangladesh, Saudi government also supports Rohingya Muslims who are living in Bangladesh. Some of organizations support the Rohingya Muslims. Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) supported the Rohingya Muslims in Dhaka as well. They are internationally accepted that these refuges are Myanmar Muslims, not Bangladeshi Muslims.
Eurasia Diary: Do you think that this dispute will be some sort of the major disputes in future and could lead some sort of the confrontation between Myanmar and Bangladesh?
Ferdous Ahmad: I do not think so, because it is a small area between Bangladesh and Myanmar. This is not general area. Rohingya Muslims and some businessmen are coming and going between Myanmar and Bangladesh. This will not become a major dispute between Myanmar and Bangladesh in future.
Eurasia Diary: How many Indians are living in Bangladesh right now? Which status Bangladeshi government has given to them?
Ferdous Ahmad: About 5 million Indians live in Bangladesh. They are refugee as Rohingya Muslims. They have no identity card and political right and they are as like as refugee and live in Bangladesh as Rohingya Muslims and Myanmar citizen.
Eurasia Diary: How do they come to Bangladesh? There is a border security and how they intrude the territory of Bangladesh?
Ferdous Ahmad: There is a remote area between Bangladesh and Myanmar. For that reason, there is not strong security forces applied in that area. Mainly Rohingya Muslims were taken by the Myanmar army for several times. I think that is a reason.
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