Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has commented that the bullet that hit St. Martin was not fired by the Myanmar government but by the Arakan Army.
He said that no direct attack was seen in Bangladesh. As part of the internal conflict between several ethnic groups in Myanmar, these recent incidents are likely to have been perpetrated by rebel groups, not the Myanmar government.
Obaidul Quader said these things while talking to reporters after the post-Eid meeting with the officials and employees of the ministry on Wednesday (June 19).
Obaidul Quader said that there may be gunshots or the sound of gunshots can be heard at the border. What a violation of sovereignty! These incidents are happening because of their rebels. Why should we blame the Myanmar government! We will continue to discuss as long as possible.
Obaidul Quader said in response to BNP's allegation that "the government is following a knee-jerk foreign policy" on the St. Martin Island issue, while the opposition is terming the government's decision as "subservient". But how is it subservient! The bullet that hit St. Martin was not fired by the Myanmar government, but by the Arakan Army rebels.
At this time, he spoke about Bangladesh's commitment to resolve the conflict through dialogue instead of war.
Obaidul Quader said that the Myanmar warship has been removed from the border Naf river. As the Rohingyas swept into Bangladesh like a tide, there was still provocation. At times there were complaints that our airspace was being violated. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was in Washington at that time, ordered the Chiefs of the armed forces to avoid war under any circumstances. If Myanmar provokes, we will sit in dialogue and find a solution but we will not engage in war.
He said, if BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir wants to join the war, then we can fall into the trap of provocation. We are in the government, we have responsibilities.
Questioning Fakhrul's contribution in the liberation war, Obaidul Quader said, "I don't know what Fakhrul did or in which sector he fought during the liberation war."
There is no point in making such a claim. Sovereignty remains intact. If sovereignty is really violated and negotiations fail, if they really attack, then we will sit quietly! We must respond.
Earlier on June 15, Obaidul Quader said about the tension on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, some clashes are taking place inside our neighboring country Myanmar. There are 54 committees. None of them match. Rakhine-Arakan rebels are openly rebelling. If we suffer for their internal conflict, that too is very unfortunate!
He said, Myanmar currently has a military government. We have no enmity with them. The door to negotiations is still open. We can talk as long as we can talk, discuss, 'We are not at a move down' stage, if not, we are trying to solve it through dialogue and we will do it.