BGB-BGP to told talks on Sunday amid tensions

Myanmar's Border Guard Police (BGP) has agreed to hold talks with its Bangladeshi counterpart on the simmering tensions along the border between the countries.

A flag meeting between Bangladesh Border Guard and BGP will take place in Cox's Bazar's Teknaf on Sunday. Lt Col Sheikh Khalid Mohammad Iftekhar, commander of Border Guard Bangladesh's Teknaf-2 battalion confirmed the matter to the media.

Each side will be represented by a 10-strong delegation, Iftekhar said, without divulging any further details. A media briefing will be held at the end of the meeting, he added.

The frontier has been fraught with instability in recent months, as a conflict between the Myanmar military and a separatist group led to shelling across the Bangladesh border. Sounds of heavy artillery and gunfire rounds coming from the other side of the border also left residents across Bandarban's Naikkhyangchhari Upazila border in a constant state of panic.

"Communications between the two forces have been ongoing at various levels from the outset. The BGB has also sent several letters to the BGP regarding the issue," said Iftekhar.

"In view of this, on Friday afternoon, I received a letter from the Myanmar Border Guard Police to the effect that they have agreed to sit for a meeting. A decision has been taken to hold a flag meeting between the BGB and the BGP at the battalion level on Sunday in Teknaf."

The BGB remains on high alert in light of the tense situation along the border, according to him.