Nizam Ahmed
A senior official of the United States (US) is expected to visit Bangladesh, Myanmar and Japan for a week from Tuesday next to discuss issues relating to conflicts in Myanmar and exodus of refugees from the country, officials said on Saturday.

US State Department Senior Advisor for Myanmar Mr W. Patrick Murphy will undertake the tour at such a time when fleeing Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have become a matter of concern for neighbouring countries.

The intrusion of Rohingyas in the south and the southeast Asian countries including Bangladesh have increased following spells of communal riots between Rohingya Muslims and local Buddhists in Rakhine state, in western Myanmar since June last year.

Indian coast guards have rescued 108 Rohingyas off the coast of the country's eastern Andaman archipelago, a website in the islands reports.
The ‘Andaman Sheekha’ said that two coast guard ships, C-145 and Aruna Asaf Ali, rescued these Rohingyas from an unmanned barge 'Ganpati’, which was tugged away from Myanmar to Mumbai by ‘Tug Star Jakarta’.

Some officials of Indian company Punj Llyod drew the attention of the coast guards about the presence of some 15 unidentified people in the unmanned barge and the presence of some boats in its vicinity on the evening of 28th Feb, the website said.

On receipt of the information, Interceptor Boat C-145 under the command of Coast Guard Commandant SR Nagendrgan was pressed into action.