Two deafening noises shook the ground along the border with Myanmar at the eastern and southern parts of Teknaf upazila in Coxs Bazar. on Friday morning, local residents said. Intermittent gunfire was heard throughout Thursday night from the border with Myanmar along Teknaf upazila in Coxs Bazar.
Although a relative calm has descended on the restive border areas in Bandarbans Naikhongchhari and Coxs Bazars Ukhiya, heavy gunfire and shelling from Myanmar echoed across two islands, Shahporir Dwip and St Martins Island, off the Teknaf coast, our Coxs Bazar correspondent added.
On Friday, both the islands were rocked by deafening sounds of shelling from across the Naf River. "We heard two heavy explosions from the Myanmar border across Shahporir Dwip," said Abdus Salam, a local union council member.
After enduring a sleepless night due to the fighting across the border, residents said sporadic gunfire resumed after a brief pause around 11:00 am.
Meanwhile, reports of the Arakan Army capturing the Myanmar Border Guard Police outposts in the Rakhine State have surfaced on various news portals as the conflict between the rebels and junta forces intensified.
The conflict caused fishermen to stop their activities in the Naf River, according to Khorshed Alam, a representative from St Martins Island. "Mortar shells were fired on Thursday morning around 11:00am. We heard no sound of fighting until 11:00am on Friday."
The unrest at the border also led to a suspension of tourist ship movement along the Teknaf-St Martin sea route. A local resident described hearing sporadic gunfire throughout the night but the island was jolted by two loud explosions in the morning.
Although St Martins Island is around 20 km away from Myanmar, the audible shelling from across the border has heightened concerns among residents.
Adnan Chowdhury, the Upazila executive office, said Border Guard Bangladesh and Coast Guard patrols have intensified along the Myanmar border. Residents have been advised to remain vigilant amid the escalating conflict in Rakhine State.
On Friday morning the people this side of the border woke to the sound of heavy firing. A helicopter was seen flying above Maungdaw in Myanmar, on the other side of the border from Shah Porir Dwip. A little while after that, the border area shook with the sound of two deafening explosions.
The UP member Abdus Salam said that that the Rakhine State was located on the eastern and southern side of the river Naf. The areas from which the sound of gunfire is coming are places around Maungdaw of Myanmars Rakhine state. Myanmars Border Guard Police (BGP) have a few camps in these areas.
Teknaf 2 BGB Commander Lt Col Md Mohi Uddin said that members of BGB heard intermittent firing throughout the night due the fighting between two groups in Myanmar centring their internal problems. BGBs patrol has been reinforced along the border.
Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Adnan Chowdhury said BGB and the Coast Guard patrols have been stepped up due to the outbreak of violence in Myanmar. The people living along the border have been told to remain on alert.
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