Bangladesh has expressed serious concern over escalating tensions along its southeastern border with Myanmar, following a series of cross-border armed incidents linked to fighting between the Arakan Army and armed Rohingya groups inside Myanmar.
The situation has raised fresh security concerns after a minor Bangladeshi girl was injured by a stray bullet in Teknaf earlier this week.
In response to the latest developments, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday summoned Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh U Kyaw Soe Moe to lodge a strong protest against repeated incidents of cross-border gunfire and security breaches.
Director General of the Myanmar Wing at the foreign ministry Md Kamruzzaman called in the envoy and conveyed Dhaka’s deep displeasure over the continued spillover of Myanmar’s internal conflict into Bangladeshi territory.
A senior foreign ministry official said Bangladesh reminded the Myanmar side that any unprovoked firing toward Bangladeshi territory constitutes a clear violation of international law and is inconsistent with the principles of good neighbourly relations.
“The conflict inside Myanmar is an internal matter, but the responsibility lies with the Myanmar authorities to ensure that such violence does not cross the border and endanger Bangladeshi lives,” the official said.
Bangladesh also stressed that the safety, security and livelihoods of its citizens must not be affected by instability arising from Myanmar’s domestic unrest, the official added.
Series of border incidents
Border tensions between Bangladesh and Myanmar have intensified in recent months due to the spillover of Myanmar’s ongoing civil conflict. Dhaka has summoned the Myanmar ambassador on several occasions to protest these violations.
Most recently, a 12-year-old Bangladeshi girl was critically injured when a stray bullet hit her near Whykong Union in Teknaf upazila of Cox’s Bazar on Sunday. Just a day later, another incident occurred when a Bangladeshi youth was severely injured after stepping on a landmine along the Teknaf border. The victim was identified as Mohammad Hanif, a resident of the upazila.
Foreign ministry officials described the incidents as alarming and unacceptable, noting that civilians continue to bear the brunt of instability across the border.
Rohingya repatriation and security measures
During the meeting with the Myanmar envoy, Bangladesh also raised the long-stalled issue of Rohingya repatriation. Another foreign ministry official said Dhaka urged Myanmar to create a conducive environment for the early, safe and dignified return of Rohingya refugees to their homeland.
Bangladesh is currently hosting more than 1.2 million Rohingyas in camps in Cox’s Bazar, placing significant pressure on the country’s resources and security infrastructure.
Meanwhile, with election-related activities ongoing in both Bangladesh and Myanmar, authorities have decided to further strengthen security in and around the Rohingya camps.
A recent meeting of the National Taskforce on Rohingya resolved to request the Election Commission not to withdraw any security personnel from the camps for redeployment elsewhere during the election period, citing heightened security risks.
