Bangladesh deployed four ships and put its navy and armed forces on high alert after a South Korean company escorted by Myanmar ships began work in the area.

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury told reporters that Myanmar was removing the exploration equipment.

"What I have heard from the ground is that Daewoo is slowly removing its rig. As I talk to you, it is leaving Bangladeshi territory," Chowdhury said.

"We hope that they will not conduct any further exploration in this area until we can demarcate our maritime boundary through talks," he added.

Bangladesh's armed forces issued a statement saying Myanmar had been forced to withdraw from the disputed waters.

"Navy personnel talked to the foreign technical crews who were involved in the drilling rig and made them understand our resolve," it said.

Bangladesh faces an acute energy shortage and has invited bids from foreign companies to explore gas reserves in its part of the Bay of Bengal.

Navy and army officials told AFP that Bangladesh had readied missile-laden boats and two elite army units as Myanmar boosted its troop presence along the 220-kilometre (170-mile) land border.

Officials of the two countries held talks in the new Myanmar capital Naypyidaw earlier this week but apparently failed to resolve the dispute.

Myanmar, which has discovered huge reserves of natural gas in the bay, insists its exploration work is legal.

More talks between the two nations are due to be held in Dhaka on November 16 and 17.

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