DHAKA, Feb 8, 2024 (BSS) - Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said the country's stance on its border has been strengthened due to the ongoing internal conflict of Myanmar.

"We are not liberally opening our border and we will not give this scope to anyone," he told a press conference at the AL's Bangabandhu Avenue central office here this afternoon.

Quader said Bangladesh will inform the United Nations (UN) in writing about its concerns, caused by the Myanmar conflict, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He said those who fled to Bangladesh are the members of the Myanmar border guard and army.

The Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh was summoned and he said Myanmar wants to take them back, the AL general secretary asserted, adding that there is no alternative to taking back the Myanmar nationals.

"We cannot keep concern at our border alive. Our foreign ministry is working and it will write to the United Nations. The fury of Myanmar crisis has reached India too. Our foreign minister is currently staying in India. In the meantime, important talks have been held with India. There is the Myanmar border issue too," he said.

About the BNP's allegation that Bangladesh is now on the brink of crossfire, Quader said BNP is wrongheaded now while US President Joe Biden has vowed to work together with Bangladesh.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also sent the same message, while the French President gave a message, he said.

"All hope of BNP is over now. They (BNP) thought that their foreign friends would stand by them. Their hope is completely diminished," the AL general secretary added.

The road transport minister said BNP could not have imagined that their movement would end up in such a failure.

The BNP leaders thought that if their movement can be advanced a bit, their foreigner friends will move forward and will help topple the Sheikh Hasina government, he said, but their hopes have fallen flat.

Responding to a question about the Rohingyas staying in Bangladesh, Quader said when BNP was in power, it allowed Rohingyas first to come to Bangladesh.

"Have they forgotten their past history? They are the ones who gave the opportunity to the Rohingyas. What our leader Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina did to this end has been appreciated by everyone, including the UN," he said.

AL Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Organising Secretary BM Mozammel Haque, Office Secretary Biplab Barua, Deputy Office Sayem Khan and Central Committee Member Sahabuddin Faraji were, among others, present.