A high-power Bangladesh delegation, led by Foreign Secretary Md Touhid Hossain, left for Yangon Tuesday night to try to diffuse tensions over gas exploration in disputed waters on the Bay of Bengal.

“I will meet my Myanmar counterpart and other senior officials to convey Dhaka’s concern and demand immediate withdrawal of the vessels and infrastructures from the disputed waters,” Touhid told newsmen before his departure.

Earlier, on Tuesday Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury told reporters at his office that the delegation would “try to defuse the current crisis”.

The area believed to hold huge reserves of natural gas, lies some 60 nautical miles off Saint Martin’s Island, and is claimed by both Bangladesh and Myanmar.

According to an agreement reached at maritime boundary talks earlier this year in Dhaka, Bangladesh and Myanmar committed not to carry out oil and gas exploration until the two countries demarcate sea borders.

A technical team from Myanmar, headed by a deputy minister, will arrive in Dhaka to continue the sea boundary talks on November 16 and 17.

Bangladesh Navy frigates have been patrolling disputed Bay waters from a safe distance, as Myanmar is yet to remove its structures and equipment for gas exploration from the area.

On Wednesday, Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury and

Chinese Ambassador Zheng Qingdian discussed the current situation between Bangladesh and Myanmar on the Bay of Bengal.

“I have explained our peaceful intentions to our Chinese friends, and expressed our hope that Myanmar dismantle the installations on the disputed waters,” the Foreign Adviser told newsmen after the meeting.

Myanmar, a close neighbour of both Bangladesh and China, has moved its four naval ships escorted by two warships into Bangladesh maritime territory in the Bay for hydrocarbon exploration to the surprise of

Bangladesh authorities.

Dr Iftekhar talking to news agency AFP warned of possible military action, should Myanmar continue with its exploration work. “Our intention has always been peaceful. But we have to let them know that Bangladesh will defend her territorial sovereignty in every way possible,” he said.

A senior official from Myanmar’s military government said they were open to talks, but insisted that oil and gas companies were operating inside their territory and far away from the disputed sea boundary.

“Our offshore fields are far from the disputed Friendship Line. The field exploration area is in our own territory,” he told AFP.

“We will try to solve this peacefully, but we are also ready to protect our country if needed t we will not tolerate being insulted, although we do want good will.”

The official, who refused to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media, claimed that other countries were meddling in the spat.

Meanwhile Myanmar kept suspended the exploration activities at the disputed waters in the Bay of Bengal as a flurry of diplomatic activities were underway with a high-powered Bangladesh delegation holding talks with Yangon officials in the Myanmar capital.

An official said Yangon agreed to withdraw their rig installed in the disputed area of the sea under some conditions as the two sides are expected to defuse the tension over Myanmar’s hydrocarbon exploration.

“The tension is largely defused though the navy ships of both the countries are still staying at the area around the rig” of a South Korean exploration company, he said.

The development came as a high high-level three member delegation headed by Foreign Secretary Mohammad Touhid Hossain left here for Yangon late last night to hold talks with Myanmar authorities for requesting them to suspend the exploration activities in the disputed area until the settlement of the maritime boundary.

Maritime expert Commodore (retd) M. Khurshed Alam and Commodore Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan of Bangladesh Navy are accompanying the Foreign Secretary.

Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury told newsmen on Tuesday that Dhaka would try to settle the issue “diplomatically, for Bangladesh is a peace-loving country”.

More substantive discussions on maritime boundary would take place on November 16-17 when a Myanmar delegation, headed by a Deputy Minister, will come to Bangladesh, he said.

Meanwhile Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh U Phae Thann O left here for Yangon last evening, official sources said.