Bangladesh forces removed 39 landmines from Burma-Bangladesh border areas

(Cox’sbazar, 1 January 2013) : Bangladesh border Security forces have discovered 39 landmines in the Burma-Bangladesh border areas on Saturday, which was later removed from the locations, said a report in Bangladeshi newspapers.
The media report quoting Lt Col Shafiqur Rahman of 31 Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB)  said that all the 39 mines were removed from the border.

According to the report, the BGB has accused its counterpart for it as a violation of international border rules. Lt Col Rahman also informed that Dhaka had already sent a strong note of protests to NayPieDaw in this regard.
The landmines were newly planted near the pillar no 44 at Kachubunia in Naikkhongchhari of Bandarban district by the Burmese border security forces. Those were probably planted on the border areas within few days, added the report.
There is also information that the Burmese border Security forces had recently conducted a survey of 200 points along the international border with Bangladesh.
It is suspected that soon after the survey, which ended on December 10, the Burmese forces planted the mines.
The Bangladesh had no official information about the planting of mines. It was reported by some Bangladeshi villagers to the 31 BGB Battalion based in Naikkhongchhari town on December 18 about the plantation of mines.
The Nasaka, former Burma border forces, had planed landmines on the border areas some 10 years back that caused deaths of several Bangladeshi villagers. Many times, the wild animals like elephants were also got killed by those mines.
The Bangladesh authority has now reinforced strict border patrols in those areas.