Tensions flared along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border on Monday after armed members of the Arakan Army (AA), a Myanmar-based insurgent group, opened fire on Bangladeshi fishermen in the Naf River near Shah Porir Dwip in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, leaving two teenagers seriously injured. On the same day, the AA also reportedly abducted three Bangladeshi fishermen from the Bangladesh side of the river near the Leda border in Hnila Union.
The injured, Hedayet Ullah, 17, and Mohammad Hossain, 16 — both residents of Jalia Para in Shah Porir Dwip — are currently receiving treatment at Cox’s Bazar General Hospital. Local witnesses and family members say the two were fishing inside Bangladesh’s territorial waters when the AA suddenly opened fire.
“Hedayet was shot in the knee and Hossain in the left leg,” confirmed Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sheikh Ehsan Uddin. “We are conducting a detailed investigation into the incident.”
Local fisherman Md Rezaul recounted the terrifying moments: “Three fishermen went out in the morning. Around noon, the Arakan Army fired on them without warning. Two were hit. The third barely managed to escape and return with the injured.”
As the wounded were being rushed to safety, a separate incident unfolded near the Leda border where the Arakan Army allegedly crossed into Bangladeshi territory and abducted three more fishermen — Siddiq Hossain, 27, Rabiul Alam, 27, and Mahmud Hossain, 30 — from Lamarpara in East Leda of Hnila Union.
These repeated violations underscore growing concerns over the Arakan Army's increasingly aggressive and unprovoked actions along the border, putting the lives and livelihoods of Bangladeshi civilians at risk. Monday’s dual incidents mark a dangerous escalation of the group’s activities, challenging Bangladesh’s sovereignty and border security.
“Such acts are not only illegal under international law, but they are also a clear breach of Bangladesh’s territorial integrity,” said a local rights activist. “This isn’t the first time the Arakan Army has violated the border. But this time, they’ve crossed the limit — injuring minors and abducting innocent fishermen from our waters.”
Bangladesh authorities are reportedly in contact with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and relevant diplomatic channels to protest the incidents and secure the release of the abducted fishermen. The Foreign Ministry is also expected to raise the issue at the international level.
As tension grows along the Naf River, local fishermen remain gripped with fear. Many have halted their daily work, fearing further attacks from the armed group.
This cross-border aggression by the Arakan Army not only threatens peace along the frontier but also calls for urgent diplomatic and security measures to protect Bangladeshi civilians from repeated violations by insurgents from across the border.
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