34 Myanmar soldiers and Border Guard Police (BGP) members who had taken refuge in Bangladesh in the wake of the ongoing conflict in Myanmar’s Rakhine State were sent back to Myanmar today (07 May 2025). At the same time, 5 people detained in Cox’s Bazar jail and 1 Myanmar civilian detained in Patuakhali jail were also repatriated to their home countries along with the 34 people as their sentences had expired. The repatriation process was completed by a Myanmar civil aircraft from Cox’s Bazar airport this afternoon.
The 34 soldiers and BGP members who fled from the violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State from 09 December 2024 to 12 January 2025 took refuge in Naikshongchhari in Bandarban and have been in the custody of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) since then. They were sent back to Myanmar after the Myanmar government completed their identification and necessary documentation processes. The program was completed under the supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the assistance of the Security Services Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Cox’s Bazar District Administration, District Police, Border Guard Bangladesh, Civil Aviation Authority, Customs and other authorities. Diplomats from the Myanmar Embassy in Dhaka were present during the repatriation.
It is worth noting that earlier last year, a total of 875 Myanmar BGP and other members were repatriated to Myanmar by sea in four phases.