Bangladesh on Wednesday sent back 40 Myanmar nationals, including 34 military and Border Guard Police (BGP) personnel, who had crossed the border to seek refugee during the conflict between Myanmar army and the rebel Arakan Army at border.

They were handed over to Myanmar authorities concerned on Wednesday morning and sent back in a special flight.

They were transported to Cox`s Bazar airport around 11:30 AM by a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) bus from Naikhyangchhari BGB camp. After completing the necessary immigration and formalities at the airport, they were handed over to Myanmar authorities.

The group included 12 soldiers and 22 BGP members who had fled to Bangladesh after facing defeat from insurgent group Arakan Army in Myanmar`s Rakhine state. They crossed Naikhyangchhari border into Bandarban and sought refuge in Bangladesh, where they were detained by BGB members.

Cox`s Bazar`s additional district magistrate Md. Shahidul Alam said that as per Ministry of Foreign Affairs` instructions, 34 soldiers, BGP members and other Myanmar nationals were handed over to Myanmar authorities.

Present at the handover were BGB`s Cox`s Bazar region commander Brigadier General M M Imrul Hasan, additional director of National Security Intelligence (NSI) in Cox`s Bazar Md. Jalal Uddin, additional deputy commissioner Md. Shahidul Alam, additional superintendent of police (traffic) Md. Jasim Uddin Chowdhury, jail superintendent Md. Zayed Mehedi and assistant secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Md. Nazmul Hasan Majumder, among others.

Earlier, 752 people, including soldiers and BGP members from Rakhine, along with other Myanmar nationals, were sent back to Myanmar in three phases.

During the handover process, 214 Bangladeshi nationals, detained in various jails in Myanmar, were also brought back.