A week after shooting, Myanmar denies attack on Bangladeshi fishermen

Myanmar has denied the attack on Bangladeshi fishermen a week into the incident and the protest by Dhaka.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 5 Jan 2017, 08:02 PM
Updated : 5 Jan 2017, 08:02 PM

The foreign ministry on Dec 29 summoned Myanmar Ambassador Myo Myint Than and protested the “unprovoked” attack on the fishing boat ‘FV JANIVA KHALEDA 1' that left four Bangladeshi fishermen seriously injured on Dec 27.

The foreign ministry said boat had been fishing off the south-east of the Saint Martin’s Island, within Bangladesh’s territorial waters, when it was fired upon by a Myanmar trawler.

Bangladesh said Myanmar trawler, with armed people on board, took the Bangladeshi fishing boat and fishermen, including the injured, to a nearby Myanmar Navy vessel patrolling the area.

Myanmar Navy personnel seized the belongings of the fishermen and released them four hours later.

Dhaka had also demanded an investigation into the matter, asked that those responsible be brought to justice, and sought assurance that the Myanmar Navy would abstain from attacking innocent Bangladeshi fishermen in the future.

Myanmar news outlet Mizzima on Thursday, however, reported that the Navy has denied the attack.

“The State Counsellor's office says the office contacted the Commander-in-Chief’s Office (Navy) to ask questions about the issue, and the office replied that the Myanmar Navy ship did not shoot at the Bangladeshi trawler,” according to the report.

This report came ahead of a planned visit to Bangladesh by a Myanmar state minister to discuss Rohingya refugee issue.

Officials in Dhaka told bdnews24.com that state councilor Aung San Suu Kyi is sending the envoy ahead of the OIC foreign ministers’ meeting on Rohingya issue on Jan 19 in Malaysia.

Dhaka earlier had expressed its deep concern at the continued influx of Rohingya Muslims from the Rakhine State of Myanmar into Bangladesh.

The foreign ministry said around 50,000 Myanmar citizens have taken shelter in Bangladesh since Oct 9 when the Rakhine state turned volatile following an attack on police outposts.

Around 300,000 Myanmar nationals have been in Bangladesh for years, according to the government figure.

Amid international outcry, Director General Kyaw Zaya of Myanmar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Dec 30 told Reuters that they would take back 2,415 citizens from Bangladesh.

The authorities have been maintaining this figure since 2010 but never started the process to take back those verified even before 2006.