by Nyein Chan
Dhaka (Mizzima) – Closely monitired by the Burmese Army, the Bangladeshi armed forces comprising of the army, navy and air force are conducting a joint military exercise in the Bay of Bengal, near the maritime boundary of the two contiguous countries.
Two military exercises, including one in Cox’s Bazaar, about 80 kms from the Bangladesh-Burma border, were conducted on May 8th and 13th respectively.
“About 500 personnel from the army, navy and air force units took part in the exercises,” a Bangladeshi intelligence source told Mizzima.
Burma, Rakhine State, Ann based Western Command instructed over 1,000 soldiers stationed in Maungdaw to build the border fence, Nasaka (border authority) personnel and the Township Police Force to suspend all their routine work and put them on alert.
“We received orders from the Western Command on May 9. They instructed us not to leave our units and be on stand by. I do not know until which date the order will be in place,” a security agency source told Mizzima.
It has been reported that Burmese naval boats and land forces are on stand by mode and are closely watching the situation.
“Sittwe Yechanpyin-based 4 naval boats are patrolling the maritime boundary round the clock,” a naval source said.
[Submitted by a reader with comment, “Nothing like a good little war to stiffen up the spirits! I hardly think BDR is in a position to do much.”]