Teknaf Border: Mortar shells, shots fired from Myanmar

Security has been beefed up along the Myanmar-Bangladesh border areas in Cox's Bazar as the ongoing conflict has intensified in Rakhine state on the other side of the fence.

Thirteen mortar shells and one bullet landed on the Bangladesh side during a clash between the Myanmar Army and the Arakan Army along the border on Saturday, said the 34 Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) battalion in Cox's Bazar in a press release.

BGB immediately sent a letter to the Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP) protesting the incident, read the press release signed by the Commanding Officer Lt Col Saiful Islam Chowdhury.

In light of the incident, BGB's Major General AKM Nazmul Hasan visited the border area where the mortar shells had fallen.

He visited Palongkhali, Tumbru, and Whykong border outposts and ordered the BGB to perform its duties carefully in the border area to monitor the ongoing conflict in Myanmar and the activities of the rebel groups.

He also instructed them to carry out their assigned duties professionally, the press release added.

Residents of the villages along the border in Teknaf upazila have been living in fear as sounds of explosions and gunshots are frequently heard from the other side.

Lt Col Md Mohiuddin, commanding officer of BGB-02 in Teknaf, said the security measures along the border were already strong before the conflict ensued in the neighbouring country and now they have been further strengthened as it is intensifying.

"We are on alert round the clock."

Sirajul Mostafa, a union parishad member of Whykong in Teknaf, said he could not sleep last night due to the loud sounds of mortar shells and gunshots.

"It sounded like the fighting was going on in our village... We can't even go to our own croplands and shrimp enclosures that are situated near the border."

He added that a bullet from that side had also pierced through a house in his area on Saturday. "Thankfully, no one was injured."

Adnan Chowdhury, upazila nirbahi officer of Teknaf, said he heard about the bullet going through a house in Whykong union and also about the loud sounds.

"If instructions come from the BGB, we will start evacuating villagers living along the border."