The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Bangladesh apparently avoided a naval confrontation with Myanmar through diplomatic initiatives and also safeguarded its sovereignty in territorial waters, as the neighbour has started withdrawing battleships from the disputed waters.

The government, however, vowed to do “everything” to protect its territory from intrusion as Myanmar moved some troops in the frontiers along the southeastern Bangladesh at the same time.

Defence sources said Yangon overnight withdrew two warships leaving the two missile boats at the scene but reports were received that they moved some troops along Bangladesh border.

Meanwhile, the South Korean company, engaged by Myanmar, was wrapping up its hydrocarbon exploration mission that it began in Bangladesh water.

“We will do everything to maintain our sovereignty and territory,” Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury told national news agency BSS.

Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed late Thursday reviewed the situation in a meeting joined by home and foreign advisers, army, navy and air force chiefs and senior civil and military officials.

Dr Iftekhar said, he talked to envoys of South Korea and China, a close ally of Myanmar, while Bangladesh ambassadors to the two countries were continuing talks with authorities in Seoul and Beijing to resolve the crisis.

The crisis erupted last week with the intervention of Yangon in the Bangladesh waters defying an earlier understanding.

Officials earlier said, South Korean Daewoo had already initiated the process of dismantling of the installation from the scene in the sea, while Bangladesh and Myanmar’s war ships were still positioned in the area.

“(But) we will keep our presence in the region until we are confident about their (Myanmar’s) intention,” the Foreign Adviser said while defence sources said five Bangladeshi navy vessels including a frigate and 2 missile boats and two Myanmar missile boats were staying in close proximity, while the Korean rig continued the withdrawal process.

Foreign ministry officials, without elaboration, said the three-member high powered delegation led by foreign secretary Mohammad Touhid Hossain was expected to return home today after three days of talks with military junta in Yangon.

The delegation went to Myanmar in a bid to pursue the secluded country to suspend the hydrocarbon explorations in the area until the settlement of the maritime boundary.

Foreign ministry officials said, the Foreign Adviser was in communication with some foreign diplomats in Bangladesh and some Bangladeshi ambassadors abroad in the past two days as Dhaka engaged diplomatic channels abroad seeking other “concerned countries” role in revolving the crisis.

“This is indeed good news, if true, and would mean that our initiatives have paid off,” Dr Iftekhar said referring to the South Korean company’s reported move.

The foreign ministry also received a letter from Daewoo Company stating that the dismantling process had begun which might take a few days to complete.