Hope for Razzak's return as Myanmar agrees flag meet

A week after the abduction of BGB Nayek Abdur Razzak, the Myanmar border force has agreed to hold a flag meeting in a couple of days over his handover to Bangladesh.  

Myanmar's Border Guard Police (BGP) also asked for a list of the BGB delegation that would attend the meeting, the chief of Border Guard Bangladesh said last night.

“Half an hour before Iftar [yesterday evening], our local battalion in Teknaf received a letter from Myanmar's Border Guard Police asking for the names of a delegation for a flag meeting to return Razzak,” BGB Director General Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed told The Daily Star over the phone. 

A delegation of five to six officials headed by Lt Col Abu Jar al Zahid, commanding officer of 42 BGB Battalion in Teknaf, would attend the meet to be held at Maungdaw, a border town of Myanmar.

The names would be sent by this morning, the DG added. 

Referring to the letter, a highly placed BGB source said the flag meet would take place tomorrow. But the date was not being officially announced as it might change for unexpected factors, added the source.   

Since Myanmar's border troops abducted Razzak on June 17 from Bangladesh waters, the BGB has been requesting a flag meeting for his return.

But the Myanmar authorities kept dillydallying and claimed his return is being delayed due to some official formalities.

Triggering further outrage, they circulated photographs of Razzak in handcuffs on the social media. One of the photos showed him wearing a BGB shirt and a lungi. In another picture, blood clots were seen on his nose.

On Monday, Lt Col Zahid communicated thrice with BGP Battalion-1 Commanding Officer Kyaw Teyza for a flag meeting.

But the BGP laid down a condition that it will give back Razzak if Bangladesh takes in 550 boat people who were among the 727 rescued by the Myanmar Navy from the Andaman Sea.

Talking to journalists at the Secretariat yesterday, State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said Myanmar was “going too far” and “asking for too much” by attaching a condition to the release of the abducted BGB jawan.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also expressed concern and resentment over Razzak's captivity and delay in his return. "It's is a clear violation of international law and human rights," read an NHRC statement.

Myanmar further violated human rights by circulating his photos on the social networking sites, it said.

Meanwhile in Natore, Razzak's family members with their nerves on edge have been waiting for his release from Myanmar's captivity.

His father Tofazzal Hossain said they were extremely worried hearing that Myanmar imposed a condition for the return of his son, reports our Natore correspondent.

Though BGB officials have assured them of Razzak's return, there is no positive result yet, he added.