Dhaka - A high-level Bangladesh delegation is scheduled to fly to Myanmar Wednesday to hold talks aimed at resolving a dispute over oil and gas exploration in the Bay of Bengal, a top foreign ministry official said Monday.

Bangladesh's foreign secretary Md. Touhid Hossain will lead the delegation at the dialogue with his Myanmar counterpart and other high ranking officials to "defuse the situation" over the exploration, the official said.

"A Myanmar delegation headed by a deputy minister will also arrive in mid-November to continue the dialogue on maritime delimitation," Bangladesh's foreign affairs adviser, Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury told reporters after a meeting with Myanmar's ambassador in Dhaka on Monday.

The foreign ministry summoned the ambassador, U Phae Thann Oo, for the second consecutive day to convey Dhaka's concern over Myanmar's reported intrusion into Bangladesh's maritime territory for hydrocarbon exploration.

Lodging strong protest against the reported intrusion, the foreign affairs adviser said, "I also told the Myanmar ambassador today [Monday] that we would take all possible measures to protect our sovereignty."

Iftekhar also told the Myanmar envoy that Bangladesh views Myanmar as "a friendly country" with which it has "growing cooperation." He termed the current situation on the maritime zone a "most unfortunate development."

The adviser also informed the Myanmar envoy about sending a high-level delegation to Myanmar to defuse the situation, a foreign ministry statement said.

Bangladesh has claimed that Myanmar moved a few vessels and some exploration equipment into disputed bay waters while Bangladesh also intensified naval patrol in the areas

The two neighbours have been holding sporadic talks for years to demarcate their borders in the Bay of Bengal, considered rich in gas reserves, but they have failed to come to a conclusion. (dpa)