A total of 85 Bangladeshi citizens is returning to Bangladesh today after completing their sentences in various jails across Myanmar. Simultaneously, 123 members of Myanmar’s Border Guard Force (BGP) and army, who sought refuge in Bangladesh, will be repatriated to Myanmar.
The exchange will take place at the Nuniarchara Ghat in Cox's Bazar, where the Bangladeshis will arrive before the Myanmar nationals are sent back home. Mohammad Salahuddin, Deputy Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar, confirmed the news.
"85 Bangladeshi prisoners who served time in Myanmar will be returning home. At the same time, 123 BGP and army members, including 8 soldiers and 115 BGP personnel, will return to Myanmar," Salahuddin stated.
The repatriation process is being managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with collaboration from the local district administration, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Coast Guard, and Myanmar authorities. Similar exchanges have taken place in the past as part of ongoing diplomatic coordination between the two countries.
Of the 85 returning Bangladeshis, 26 were held in Mawlamyine jail, 16 in Pathein jail, and three in Chakmaur jail, with the rest serving terms in various jails in Rakhine state. Many of these individuals hail from Cox's Bazar, Narayanganj, and Narsingdi districts, while others are from Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Noakhali, and Dhaka.
Lt Col Mohiuddin Ahmed, Commander of the Teknaf-2 Battalion of BGB, explained that the Myanmar personnel had crossed the Naf River into Bangladesh during the conflict in Rakhine. "They sought refuge in Bangladesh at various points and will now be repatriated."
This exchange follows similar processes earlier this year. On February 15, 330 Myanmar officials and their families were repatriated, and on April 25, another group of 288 BGP and army personnel, along with 173 Bangladeshi citizens, returned to their respective countries. Most recently, on June 8, 134 Myanmar border guards and soldiers were sent back, with 45 Bangladeshi citizens returning home.
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