Dhaka, Dec 30 (PTI) Bangladesh's interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus on Monday said it was in touch with both the Myanmar government and the rebel Arakan Army (AA), which has gained control over the 271-kilometer border shared by the two countries.

“The entire 271-kilometre border is now under the control of the Arakan Army. On the other hand, the country is run by the Myanmar government,” Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury told reporters during a visit to Teknaf, a southeastern area bordering Myanmar.

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“So Bangladesh is in touch with both the sides over the border situation,” he added.

Chowdhury said that Bangladeshi security forces were performing their duties at the frontier with caution and had not faced any problems yet.

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“All security forces, including the (paramilitary) Border Guard Bangladesh [BGB], are performing their duties with utmost caution. The focus is on ensuring that law and order remain stable at all times," he said.

The adviser, however, acknowledged that occasional gunfire and mortar shells rocked the border.

“As a result, fishing in the Naf River is not currently safe. If the situation improves, decisions can be made regarding this matter,” Chowdhury said.

His comments came as media reports suggested Bangladesh mobilised additional forces on the borders as the AA drove out government troops from the region, virtually taking possession of Myanmar's Rakhine region.

Bangladesh offered makeshift refuge to over one million minority Rohingya community members in 2017 as they fled their homes in Rakhine amid a ruthless military crackdown, which the UN called a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing”.

While Bangladeshi border forces closed the border to prevent fresh influxes, Chowdhury said of late, 50,000 to 60,000 Rohingyas entered Bangladesh territory illegally, evading the security vigils in the porous borders. “A decision at the higher levels of government is needed in this regard," he said.

"(But) the newly-arrived Rohingyas are faced with severe humanitarian issues, with many arriving badly injured, making it difficult to send them back. They are receiving food assistance through various channels," he added.

Asked about the government's steps to tackle the influx of drugs through the border, the adviser said Teknaf and its adjacent areas were notorious for drug trading. Chowdhury urged residents of the border area to cooperate by sharing intelligence with law enforcement agencies to help manage the situation.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)