Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have detained two Rohingya men following a clash involving gunfire on the Naf River, reportedly sparked by a dispute over a narcotics shipment.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday evening, has renewed concerns regarding border security and the activities of criminal networks in the region.
The confrontation took place around 5:45pm within the jurisdiction of the Hnila Border Outpost (BOP), under the Ukhiya Battalion (64 BGB).
According to BGB sources, a boat carrying two individuals was heading from the Kabbik Char area, near border pillar BRM-13, toward the Sulishpara embankment.
As the vessel approached a sluice gate, it was intercepted by a three-member Rohingya gang in a separate boat. When the first boat failed to stop as ordered, the gang fired a blank shot.
In the ensuing panic, the two occupants of the boat jumped into the river.
A BGB patrol team quickly arrived at the scene, rescued the men, and took them into custody.
The detainees have been identified as Imam Hossain, 25, and Nurul Amin, 23, both residents of various Rohingya camps in Ukhiya.
Lt Col Md Zohirul Islam, commanding officer of the Ukhiya Battalion (64 BGB), stated that although the patrol responded immediately to the sound of gunfire, they initially withheld return fire to ensure the safety of a large number of civilians gathered at the embankment for the Eid holidays.
Once the gang’s boat moved toward Kabbik Char via Sulishpara, the BGB pursued them and fired five rounds. However, the gang managed to escape.
Witnesses reported that before fleeing, the gang seized “net-like objects” from the detainees’ boat and subsequently sank the vessel in the middle of the river.
Preliminary investigations by the BGB suggest that the detained individuals had entered the border area to collect a shipment of drugs, which the rival gang then attempted to hijack.
Interrogations are ongoing to determine the extent of their involvement with narcotics and cross-border criminal syndicates.
Commenting on the incident, Akkas Ahmed, a political science professor at Chittagong University and international analyst, noted that the Naf River remains a high-risk corridor for the trafficking of drugs and humans.
He highlighted that the activities of armed Rohingya criminal groups pose a significant threat to both law enforcement and national security.
Professor Akkas Ahmed further observed that the ongoing conflict in Myanmar’s Rakhine State and the rising influence of the Arakan Army have created a new reality along the border.
He cautioned, however, that thorough investigations based on reliable evidence are essential before attributing such incidents to specific armed organisations.
