Bangladesh summons Myanmar envoy over mortar shelling

Bangladesh has summoned Myanmar's ambassador to Dhaka Aung Kyaw Moe to lodge a protest against shelling of two mortars that landed in its territory on Sunday, the foreign office said on Monday.

Foreign ministry officials said the envoy was called hours after two shells fell at Ghumdhum border on Sunday afternoon. The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) said the shells did not detonate and they later diffused the unexploded shells.

We have summoned him (envoy) instantly and lodged our strong protest handing him over a diplomatic letter, foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen told reporters here.

We have asked them to make sure that such an incident is not repeated, he said.

Foreign ministry and BGB officials said the Myanmar security forces helicopters also intruded Bangladesh's airspace at least twice recently. Aung was summoned on Sunday evening for the second time since August 21. In the earlier instance, Aung was given a stern reminder that these actions from Myanmar are not actions of a friendly neighbour, officials said.

Thousands of Rohingya refugees held "Genocide Remembrance Day" rallies last week in their makeshift camps in Cox's Bazar, marking five years since fleeing a military offensive in Myanmar.

Bangladesh has extended refuge to over 1 million Rohingyas since August 2017.

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