Firing along Ghumdhum border after 11 days

Members of Myanmar’s Border Guard Police (BGP) patrol on Walidong hill on the other side of Ghundhum border in Bandarban’s Naikhongchhari on 6 September 2022.
File photo

Sound of firing and shelling of artillery and mortars was heard again from the Myanmar side along the Ghundhum border in Bandarban’s Naikhongchhari upazila.

Shelling began on Sunday midnight after it remained halted for 11 days, spreading panic among several thousand people in 31 villages of Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban districts.

Panicked over mortar shell firing, people left home, with many of them taking shelter under big trees.

According to locals and public representatives, people from this side of the border heard the noise of shelling along 50-kilomotre border stretching from Tombru of Naikhongchhari’s Ghundhum to Ulubunia of Teknaf’s Howaikong.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) director general Major General Shakil Ahmed inspected Naikhongchhari border on Monday.

More than 4,200 Rohiingyas, who were driven out from their homes in Myanmar’s Rakhaine state, have been living in refugee camps in zero- line along the Tombru border of Ghumghum union parishad. Dill Mohammad is chairman of the managing committee of the camps.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Dill Mohammad said shots were fired at 11:15pm on Sunday after it remained stopped for 11 days. Mortar shells were also fired intermittently and sound of firing was heard until 7:30am on Monday.

Several Rohingya leaders said panicked over shelling, women and children came out of their camps and cried. Earlier, a Rohingya child was killed after mortar shell fired from a Myanmar hill fell on the refugee camp.

Ghumdhum union parishad chairman AKM Jahangir Aziz said panic spread among people living in this side of the border following the sudden noise of firing. People started living normally as firing had been stopped for 11 days. Farmers even started cultivating field, and they are terrified, he added.

People from Palangkhali union of Ukhiya uapzila and Howaikong union of Teknaf upazila also heard the sound of firing until Sunday midnight.

Firing began around 11:30pm on Sunday and continued until 8:00am on Monday, Howaikong union parishad chairman Nur Ahmad Anwari said adding, people living in border are frightened now.

Palangkhali union parishand chairman Gafur Uddin Chowdhury also said people are terrified now.

Assistant commissar (land) Md Erfanul Haque Chowdhury, who is currently carrying out duties as Teknaf upazila nirbahi officer (UNO), said he heard of the firing from local public representatives.

They are keeping in touch with the people living within 300 meters of the border and these people will be relocated considering the situation, the official added.

BGB Teknaf-2 Battalion commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Sheikh Khalid Mohammad Iftekhar said BGB is on alert along border and has taken a stern stance to prevent intrusion.