Bangladesh announced on 8 October that it would ask the UN to resolve a regional maritime wrangle, which involves India, Burma and Bangladesh. Four days later, what Bangladeshi army spokespersons called "a massive military build-up," took place on the Burmese side of the land border, and on the same day, the Burmese navy based in Arakan State stationed five warships close to the disputed area. A day later, the Chittagong-based Bangladeshi navy sent four warships to the disputed area in response.
Burma's military junta had earlier protested against Bangladesh’s exploration of oil and gas in the disputed maritime zone, and warned against oil companies going ahead based on exploration rights granted by Dhaka.
Foley Hoag, the law firm taking the arbitration case on behalf of Bangladesh, spoke of intimidation of oil companies granted concessions by Dhaka, by Burmese naval vessels operating in the Bay of Bengal, the site of the disputed maritime zones.
However, a spokesperson for Tullow Oil – one of the oil companies mentioned in a press release by Foley Hoag – told ISN Security Watch that the company "no longer has any operations in the maritime area adjacent to Burma," but added that a UK-based oil and gas multinational had recently been granted a new offshore block adjacent to India. The Bay is believed to contain huge undersea oil and gas reserves.
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