Tensions along Bangladesh-Myanmar border continued on Monday as a
Bangladeshi fisherman lost his leg in a landmine explosion along border in Whykong under Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar district in the morning.
A tense situation prevailed among local people in bordering areas of Teknaf after the landmine blast.
Injured Md Hanif, 28, a shrimp farm worker, lost his leg in the landmine blast while working on the shrimp farm, according to Border Guard Bangladesh and police officials.
BGB-64 Ukhiya Battalion commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Md Zahirul Islam said that the incident took place at about 11:15am on Monday.
Teknaf police station officer-in-charge Saiful Islam also said that Hanif was injured in a mine explosion while working on a shrimp enclosure.
‘The explosion created panic among the people,’ the OC added.
A tense situation has been prevailing in areas of Bandarban and Cox’s Bazar districts along border with Myanmar over the past few days amid airstrikes by the neighbouring country’s ruling junta and gunfights between rebel armed groups there.
On Sunday, at least three people — a 12-year-old Bangladeshi girl, Afnan, and two Rohingyas — were injured along border by bullets coming from the conflict-hit Myanmar territory near Whykong under the Teknaf upazila in Cox’s Bazar district.
Chattogram Medical College Hospital director Brigadier General Mohammed Taslim Uddin on Monday afternoon said that bullet-hit Afnan was still undergoing treatment at the hospital intensive care unit in a critical condition.
Amid firings, airstrikes, and mortar shell explosions, 53 Rohingya people entered Bangladesh and were detained by the BGB on Sunday at border points in Whykong, according to BGB officials.
BGB officials also said that conflicts were going on between rebel armed groups in Myanmar, including the Arakan Army, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, and the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation.
BGB Ramu sector commander Colonel Mohammad Mohiuddin Ahmed said that they had been on the highest alert along the Myanmar border for the past two years and the recent incidents forced them to deploy more force along the border.
‘We are raising awareness among the fishermen not to be along the border or cross the zero line while catching fish considering the situation. We are monitoring the issues in Myanmar very closely and seriously,’ he added.
Myanmar and Bangladesh share a 271-kilometre border.
According to BGB officials, almost the entire Myanmar border is occupied by the Arakan Army and there is no presence of the Myanmar Border Guard Police there.
In August 2017, around eight lakh Rohingyas crossed into Bangladesh to save their lives from a military crackdown in Rakhine State, Bangladesh interim government chief adviser Professor Yunus mentioned, saying that Bangladesh now hosted around 13 lakh displaced Rohingyas, including 32,000 newborns in the camps annually.
