Cox’s Bazar | Bay Insight
Tension has escalated along the Bangladesh–Myanmar border in Teknaf following reports of gunfire from across the frontier. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) officials said sporadic shooting has been heard since Friday morning from the Myanmar side near Whykong.
The situation intensified after a fisherman was shot on Thursday night while fishing in the Naf River. The injured man, Md Alamgir, 31, from Balukhali village near the Whykong BGB camp, was admitted to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital. Authorities believe the bullet came from across the border.
Lieutenant Colonel Md Zahirul Islam, commanding officer of the 64 BGB Battalion in Ukhiya, confirmed the incident. He said rifle fire and occasional loud explosions have been heard from the Myanmar side since Friday morning. Local residents living near the border have been urged to remain cautious, he added.
He said clashes are ongoing across the border and that one of the groups involved is the Arakan Army, though the identity of the opposing side could not be confirmed. BGB personnel have been placed on high alert along the border, and he said he was overseeing the situation from a border outpost.
According to the victim’s family, Alamgir went fishing for fish and crabs in the Naf River on Thursday afternoon with another fisherman. When their boat reached a mid-river area known locally as Bilasi Island, gunfire erupted from the Myanmar side, and a bullet struck Alamgir’s left hand.
His brother, Md Yunus, said Alamgir was rescued immediately and taken first to a hospital in Kutupalong, Ukhiya. As his condition deteriorated, he was later transferred to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital.
Residents in the area said the shooting has created widespread fear. Mohammad Shahid, who lives in Uttarpara near the Whykong BGB outpost, said several loud explosions were heard again on Friday morning. “After a fisherman was injured by gunfire, people here are living in fear,” he said.
Whykong Union Parishad Ward No. 2 member Sirajul Mostafa Lalu said locals are alarmed by the sounds of heavy explosions from across the border and the shooting of a local fisherman. He said BGB members remain deployed and alert to ensure security in the area.