Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Bangladesh Army have recovered a significant number of landmine pressure plates [trigger component] from the Ulubunia border area in the Huaikhwang union of Teknaf upazila, Cox’s Bazar.
While initial inspections suggest the components do not currently contain explosives, the BGB has confirmed that the matter is being investigated with the utmost seriousness.
The recovery took place at approximately 10:30am on Tuesday. Following a joint operation by the Army and BGB that lasted until noon, approximately 50 to 60 pressure plates were collected and transported to the Huaikhwang BGB outpost.
Lt Col Md Zahirul Islam, commander of the Ukhiya Battalion (64 BGB), stated, “Several parts resembling landmine pressure plates have been found in the border area.
“No explosives have been found in them for the time being, but the matter is being confirmed through examination by experts.”
Locals voice serious concerns
According to relevant sources, a standard landmine consists of four primary components – the pressure plate, the casing, the explosive charge and booster, and the firing mechanism with a detonator.
The items recovered in Teknaf are the pressure plates, which are typically positioned on the surface to activate the mine when stepped upon.
The discovery has intensified extreme panic among border residents. Local inhabitants allege that landmines planted by the Arakan Army (a Myanmar rebel group) and gunfire from across the border have resulted in regular casualties.
Abdul Karim, a local resident, expressed serious concerns, “We cannot go to the fields; we are even afraid to go near the border. I am constantly worried about stepping on a mine and am too afraid to let my children out of the house.”
Habib Ullah, a fisherman on the Naf River, echoed these concerns, noting that cross-border fire and the threat of mines have made it nearly impossible to maintain a livelihood.
Recent casualties
The border region has seen a spike in violence recently. On 12 January, a youth named Mohammad Hanif was seriously injured in a landmine explosion while fishing in the Naf River.
Just one day prior, a child named Hufeiza Afnan was hit by a bullet fired from the Myanmar side of the border.
Mohammad Shah Jalal, acting chairman of the Huaikhwang Union Parishad, warned that the situation is becoming increasingly dire.
“People are afraid to go to the fields or the river, and families are worried about sending their children to school,” he said, calling for urgent security reinforcements and the identification of high-risk zones.
Heightened Surveillance
In response to the escalating tension, the BGB has bolstered surveillance and is conducting regular search operations in suspicious areas. However, officials admit that the ongoing internal conflict in Myanmar makes it difficult to restore total normalcy.
A senior BGB official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that while the recovered plates lacked explosives, experts are being utilised for full safety clearance. He emphasised that the area remains unsafe due to the conflict across the border and that further efforts are required to ensure the safety of local citizens.
The instability is linked to the protracted conflict in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, where the Arakan Army, Rohingya armed groups, and Myanmar government forces are engaged in intense fighting.
The echoes of this warfare – in the form of gunfire and explosions – continue to terrorise those living on the Bangladeshi side of the border.
