Google Alert – Bangladesh Army
A tense situation is prevailing along the Bangladesh-Myanmar frontier after an armed member of the Arakan Army (AA) entered Bangladesh on Monday, hours after prolonged bursts of gunfire from the Myanmar side in Bandarban’s Ghumdhum border.
The gunfight, which began around 10:00pm on Sunday, is believed to have been between AA and rival armed groups allegedly backed by Myanmar’s junta.
No casualties were reported on the Bangladesh side, but the sounds of heavy weapons rattled residents in Ghumdhum, Chakdhala and surrounding areas.
Some dozen armed AA members are currently positioned near the Naf river in Myanmar’s Laldwip area and waiting for an opportunity to cross into Bangladesh to take shelter, The Daily Star has learnt from people with knowledge of the matter.
Their location has been pinpointed about three kilometres east of the Dumdumia Border Outpost (BOP) under Teknaf Battalion-2 of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on the Myanmar side.
They reportedly gathered in Laldwip after learning that Myanmar junta forces were preparing to launch airstrikes in southern Maungdaw Township, prompting many AA members stationed there to flee towards the border in search of safety, according to intelligence sources.
The BGB said it has already intensified patrols and surveillance to prevent illegal entry.
“We are keeping a close watch on the border — we are determined to prevent any illegal intrusion,” Ashiqur Rahman, commanding officer of the BGB Teknaf Battalion-2, told The Daily Star yesterday.
Earlier on Monday, around 8:45am, BGB 64 Battalion detained an armed member of AA after he crossed into Bangladesh from Myanmar through the Balukhali border in Ukhiya of Cox’s Bazar.
The detainee — Jiban Tonchongya, 21 — surrendered with an AK-47 rifle, 52 rounds of ammunition and two magazines.
During interrogation, Jiban said that he fled to Bangladesh due to security threats, said Mohammad Jasim Uddin, commanding officer of BGB 64 Battalion in Ukhiya.
Jiban was produced in front of a court following the arrest and the court sent him to jail, said Arif Hossain, the officer-in-charge Ukhiya police station.
Over at the border, residents have been on edge for weeks.
Between July 25 and July 27, bursts of automatic weapons fire were heard intermittently near border pillars 44, 45, 46, 48 and 49.
Residents of Chakdhala, Ghumdhum, Douchhari and other nearby villages say the fighting has severely disrupted their lives.
Then on Sunday night, gunshots were heard again.
This time, it took place around 300 to 330 metres from the zero line near border pillars 34 and 35, according to BGB.
The border situation is currently calm, said SM Khairul Alam, commanding officer of BGB 34 Battalion-34.
“After the gunfight incidents, local residents were feeling uneasy, but we assured them that the incidents took place inside Myanmar and there is no lapse in security on our side,” he said, adding that residents had since been reassured.
Md Mazharul Islam Chowdhury, Naikhiyangchhari upazila nirbahi officer, said: “We are closely monitoring the situation with BGB, and border forces are on maximum alert.”
“It’s been a long time since we last heard gunfire — we heard it for quite a while, but it’s hard to understand what’s happening in Myanmar,” said Local resident Mahamudul Hasan.
In December last year, more than a year after launching resistance against Myanmar’s junta, the rebel AA claimed full control of the 271-kilometre stretch of the Rakhine portion of the Myanmar-Bangladesh border.
Earlier in February last year, heavy gun battles between the AA and Myanmar junta troops raged for days in the Ghumdhum border.
Multiple sources and intelligence reports indicate the AA has been struggling in northern Maungdaw since July, suffering from manpower shortages, internal disputes and low morale.
Disagreements over narcotics smuggling profits, loot-sharing and the very necessity of continued fighting have driven many to desert the group, they said.
In an effort to replenish its ranks, the AA has recruited fighters from six other ethnic groups, most of whom are not Rakhine.
Language barriers, poor knowledge of the terrain and a reluctance to fight have reduced operational effectiveness and created coordination problems, sources added.