Staff Reporter :
The Myanmar government has been repeatedly violating the international border rules as bullets and mortar shells are landing in Bangladesh off and on as internal fierce conflicts between the Myanmar Army and Arakan Army are continuing in their territory for a long time without any sign of ending.
The fierce fighting is always creating fear among the people of Bangladesh residing near border areas, as these people have no idea when a bullet or mortar shell will hit them.
The Bangladesh people living near the border of Teknaf can always hear the loud explosions of fires and can seek smoke in the sky for their internal conflicts.
Though the Myanmar government had been notified in previous times to confine their conflicts in their territories so that no bullets or mortar shells could land inside Bangladesh, Myanmar did not.
Earlier on, several times during the Sheikh Hasina government, who had been ousted from power through a mass upsurge on August 5, he summoned the envoy of Myanmar several times to stop firing inside Bangladeshi territory, but it did not work that time.
Still, bullets are landing in the territory of Bangladesh, causing fear of death among the citizens of Bangladesh living in the bordering areas.
Normal activities are sometimes hampered due to intense firing as bullets enter Bangladesh to and fro.
Even on Wednesday, operations at the Teknaf Land Port had come to a standstill following gunfire from conflict-affected areas of Myanmar, with bullets reportedly striking port infrastructure and nearby trees.
Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer Adnan Chowdhury confirmed the suspension of activities after the incident, which occurred around 1:30pm.
While land port manager Jasim Uddin told the media that at least three bullets crossed the border from Myanmar, with one striking the port office and shattering its glass, another hitting a truck loaded with goods, and a third landing on a coconut tree.
Such gunfire caused widespread panic among port staff and local residents, prompting many to seek refuge in safer areas at that time, the authorities said.
Following it, the port authorities suspended their operations till the situation calmed down.
Local sources indicate that the bullets originated from an island in Myanmar where armed clashes between rival groups are ongoing, raising concerns about safety along the border.
As the situation develops, authorities are closely monitoring the area and coordinating efforts to ensure the safety of both port personnel and local communities.
The internal conflicts in Myanmar have been causing immense trouble for Bangladesh. Reports said that Myanmar armies are failing to resist the rebels and losing their grips in many parts of Myanmar.
Sometimes when the conflicts became fierce, the Myanmar army fled their posts and took shelter inside Bangladesh to save their lives.
In the beginning of this year, several hundred Myanmar army personnel took shelter inside Bangladesh when they lost their position. However, Border Guard Bangladesh disarmed the Myanmar army while giving shelter and returned them at a convenient time.
Even on May 24, eight countries, including the United States of America and the European Union, in a joint statement expressed deep concern for the escalating conflict in Myanmar and, in particular, the increasing harm to civilians.
“We, Australia, Canada, the European Union, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, are deeply concerned by the escalating conflict in Myanmar and in particular the increasing harm to civilians, which is driving a worsening and devastating human rights and humanitarian crisis across the country,” the statement said with an urge to address the ongoing conflict in Myanmar.
The statement mentioned that since the February 2021 coup d’état, the number of people in humanitarian need has risen from 1 million to 18.6 million.
There have been credible reports of violations and abuses committed against the civilian population, including airstrikes on homes, schools, places of worship, and hospitals; torture; the use of civilians as human shields; and sexual and gender-based violence against women and children.
As the conflict continues to escalate, communities across Myanmar are being subjected to further displacement.
“We call on all parties to create space for meaningful and inclusive dialogue so that democracy can be restored in full,” they further said.
Despite the call of the international communities, the conflicts in Myanmar have not been stopped.
The conflicts in Myanmar are directly hitting Bangladesh on different aspects, as it had flushed out over 1.2 million Muslim Rohingyas in 2017, and Bangladesh is hosting them with the continuous thinning support from international agencies.
The current interim government led by Dr. Muhammad Yunus has recently sought the support of all countries to resolve the Rohingya crisis through repatriation, the only solution to address it.
Bangladesh has obtained support from the government of China, which has been meditating for a long time to resolve the crisis.