Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) has only one border out-post (BOP) deep inside the hilly district to keep vigil on the 129-km border. There are nine BOPs on the rest 49-km border.

BDR sources said more BOPs are needed in the rugged terrain to ensure proper security along the long hilly border.

The vast hilly area stretching from Ali Kadam to Thanchi has two reserve forests -- Sangu and Matamuhuri--and the local and foreign arms smugglers are using the deep forests as their safe haven due to lack of proper watch by the BDR personnel, local people said.

In the last two months, BDR personnel seized 15 AK47 assault rifles, 11 submachineguns, two M16 rifles, one automatic air rifle, one .22 bore rifle, two shotguns, one rocket launcher, four mortars, 8,141 bullets, 91 magazines of AK47 and 185 magazines of other firearms from the bordering areas of Naikkhangchhari upazila.

Law enforcers also seized machinegun shells, grenades, a huge quantity of powerful explosives and anti-tank mines in different operations.

Naikkhang Battalion Commanding Officer of BDR Lt Col Hasinur Rahman said thousands of Rohingya refugees residing in Naikkhangchhari and surrounding areas are linked to arms smuggling. Law enforcers seized huge firearms and explosives in their operations but the criminals escaped arrest on advance information from the refugees about the raids.

"We could not unearth identities of the arms smuggling gangs and their motive as they managed to elude security dragnet," he said.

An increase in the number of BOPs would greatly help contain smuggling of firearms and explosives, he thought.

BDR sources said they had written to the home ministry long ago requesting the government to increase the number of BOPs on Bangladesh-Myanmar border but no such step was taken as yet.

Deputy Commissioner of Bandarban Sheikh Alauddin said he is not aware of the need for increasing the number of BOPs. The problem is yet to be solved due to lack of coordination between the civil administration and security forces, he mentioned.

Sources mentioned although Naikkhangchhari upazila is in Bandarban district, Naikkhangchhari BDR zone is under the control of BDR Chhitagong sector. Moreover, as per security policy, Chittagong Hill Tracts is under Bandarban army region. This is creating security anomalies on the border.

Bangladesh and Myanmar authorities had taken initiatives to complete demarcation of their border by forming joint border teams in 1984 and 1998 but the teams postponed their activities after some mines planted along the border by Myanmar authorities exploded, they pointed out.