Kaladan News

Date: Monday, August 25, 2004

Two Bangladeshi Woodcutters Snatched by Burmese Border Security Force

Cox’s Bazar, August 25: Nasaka (Burmese Border Security Force) abducted two Bangladesh nationals from inside Bangladesh land territorial boundary, according to our correspondent from border area.

On August 16, 2004, the Nasaka members entered the Bangladesh land territory and kidnapped two Bangladeshi woodcutters into Burma, reported by Ajker Desh Bidesh on 20^th August 2004.

The two Bangladeshi woodcutters are Abdul Meah, 25, son of Kala Meah and Sayed Alam, 25, son of Ghura Meah from Thaipalong village of Ukhia Union under the Cox’s Bazar district, according to our sources.

Armed Nasaka arrested them while they reached nearby Reju-Amtoli border of no man’s land for firewood in Bangladesh side and took away to Burma, said a relative of woodcutters to our sources.

The woodcutters’ failure to come home in time, some of the relatives went to the border Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) camp to query information about the woodcutters. After getting information from BDR that the Burmese Nasaka has abducted the said woodcutters, the relatives returned home, villagers said to our correspondent.

According to the villagers, Burmese Nasaka frequently entered Bangladesh land territory and took away Bangladeshi woodcutters and put in the Burmese prisons for a long time without any trial.

It is reported that there are more than 70 Bangladeshi in prisons of Sittwe (Akyab), Buthidaung and Maungdaw. Some of them have been launching in these prisons for more than 10 years. ##

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