Myanmar has yet again violated the air space of Bangladesh, prompting the foreign ministry to summon the Myanmar’s envoy in Dhaka to lodge a strong protest. The latest incident of violation of the country’s airspace took place on Thursday, a foreign ministry press release said yesterday. Demanding a halt to such violations, Bangladesh made Myanmar known that these acts in future may result in ‘unwarranted consequences’, it said. “Bangladesh strongly protested the instances of violation of her air space by Myanmar military drones and helicopter on 10, 12 and 14 September 2017,” said the release.

“The Charge d’ Affaires of the Myanmar Embassy in Dhaka met the Director General (South East Asia Wing) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this evening (Friday) at the ministry where a protest note was handed over to him,” it said.

Referring to the earlier instances of violation of air space since 25 August 2017, Bangladesh expressed deep concern at the repetition of such acts of provocation and demanded that Myanmar takes immediate measures to ensure that such violation of sovereignty does not occur again, said the release.

With this, the Myanmar envoy was summoned for thrice after the influx of Rohingya people began on August 25 following army crackdown on them in Rakhine State of Myanmar, adds UNB. In the past, Bangladesh strongly protested instances of violation of its airspace by Myanmar helicopters.

In a diplomatic note sent to the Embassy of Myanmar in Dhaka, the Foreign Ministry protested the repeated instances of violation of Bangladesh's airspace by a number of Myanmar helicopters on 27, 28 August, and September 1.

 Myanmar helicopters violated Bangladesh's air space near Ukhia on three occasions.

The ministry stressed that these instances of incursion into Bangladesh airspace by Myanmar helicopters run contrary to the good neighbourly relations and could lead to unwarranted situation. It further emphasised that while Bangladesh has been cooperating with Myanmar in the security sector, such instances of violation of sovereignty may affect the existing understanding and cooperation between the two countries.

Bangladesh demanded Myanmar take immediate measures to prevent recurrence of such incursion in future.