Gunshots now heard from Ukhiya
As firing and mortar shelling in Myanmar were now heard from Ukhiya border of Cox's Bazar yesterday, the local authorities warned the boat owners of not carrying Rohingyas amid fear of their fresh entry.
Residents of Bandarban's Naikhongchhari said they also heard gunshots which they suspected came from deep inside Myanmar.
However, this is not the first time residents of Bandarban's bordering areas have heard such sounds. Locals in Ghumdhum border have been hearing gunshots and mortar shelling for about last two months.
Yesterday, the firing and mortar shelling in Myanmar started around 7:00am and continued till around noon, said Gafur Uddin Chowdhury, chairman of Palongkhali Union Parishad, Ukhiya.
This sparked panic among the locals in Anjuman Para, Thainkhali and Balukhali villages under the union, he told The Daily Star.
The UP chairman said these villages are on the Naf river, which marks the border of Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Mohammad Hanif Azad, a resident of Ukhiya, said they also heard firing and mortar shelling from Reju Amtoli border point.
This was the first time gunshots and mortar shelling were heard from Ukhiya border. Ukhiya is to the south of Ghumdhum.
Emran Hossain, upazila nirbahi officer of Ukhiya, said local public representatives informed him about hearing gunshots from different areas of Palongkhali.
"Hundreds of Bangladeshi families live within 300 metres of the border and we are keeping updated information on their safety. We will take actions considering the situation," he said.
The Myanmar military reportedly carried out air and ground assaults against the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed organisation based in Rakhine State, in recent months.
During this period, several mortar shells fired from Myanmar landed in Bangladesh.
The situation worsened on Friday night after a Rohingya youth was killed and five others, including two children, were injured as a mortar shell fired from Myanmar exploded at a Rohingya camp on no-man's land near Tambru Bazar in Bandarban.
Lt Col Faizur Rahman, director (operations) of BGB, admitted that gunshots were heard from the Ukhiya border yesterday morning.
"We are now trying to verify what is actually happening there."
Asked about stepping up security, Faizur said, "We always stay alert and maintain strong vigilance to protect our borders. We are on alert so that no person is able to enter Bangladesh illegally."
Meanwhile, three Rohingya families entered Bangladesh on September 10 and took shelter at a refugee camp in Cox's Bazar.
Speaking to this newspaper on September 13, the families claimed that they were feeling extremely unsafe about the fighting between the Myanmar forces and Arakan Army since August. That's why they came to Bangladesh and took shelter at their relative's home.
However, the Bangladesh authorities have taken special measures to stop entry of Rohingyas.
Yesterday, the Teknaf upazila administration and the fisheries department held a views-exchange meeting with boat owners at the upazila parishad office around 10:00am.
About 40 boat owners were present in the meeting, chaired by Erfanul Hoque Chowdhury, acting UNO of Teknaf.
The boat owners were directed not to bring any Rohingya to Teknaf from Myanmar or from the Bay of Bengal. They were also asked to allow their boats for fishing from 4:00am and ensure their return by 4:00pm every day, said meeting sources.
If any boat was found brining any Rohingya into Bangladesh, legal action would be taken against the owner of the boat, the authorities warned.
Erfanul after the meeting said, "Rohingyas have to enter our country via the sea or river routes by boats. Therefore, the boat owners have been warned of it."
Regarding the situation in Bandarban, Dil Mohammad Bhuttu, a member of ward-2 of Ghumdhum Union Parishad, said sounds of gunshots far away in Myanmar were heard from Ghumdhum.
"The panic among the locals is far from over," he said.
Our Bandarban correspondent also contributed to this report.