Gunfire was heard once again late Tuesday night from across the Ghumdhum border in Naikhongchhari upazila of Bandarban, causing panic among local residents.
Although Ghumdhum falls under Bandarban’s Naikhongchhari upazila, it is adjacent to Ukhiya upazila in Cox’s Bazar.
According to Md Helal, a member of Ward-1 of Ghumdhum Union Parishad, the sound of intermittent gunfire was heard from around 9:30 p.m. until 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday.
Mustakim Aziz, a resident of Tumbru Bazar near the border, said the sound of continuous gunfire around 9:30 p.m. created panic among locals. He added that loud explosions, possibly from mortar shells, were also heard around 2:00 a.m.
Locals reported that the gunfire originated near two Arakan Army camps—known as the “Right” and “Left” camps—located just across the border in Rakhine State. These camps were seized by the Arakan Army from Myanmar’s junta forces in February 2024. On August 10, locals also heard gunfire from the same area, particularly from a spot called “Narikel Bagicha” situated between the two camps.
Mohammad Shafi, a trader from Tumbru Bazar, said, “After nearly ten days, gunfire erupted again in the same place.” He claimed to have heard 30 to 40 rounds of gunfire, leaving him and his family in fear.
The area falls under the jurisdiction of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Battalion-34. Attempts to contact the battalion officials on Tuesday night went unanswered. Earlier, however, following the August 10 incident, Battalion Commander Lt Col SM Khairul Alam had said that the gunfire occurred nearly 300 meters inside Myanmar territory and had no impact on Bangladesh. He also suggested the exchange of fire could have involved the Arakan Army and other armed groups such as ARSA or RSO.
In December 2024, the Arakan Army claimed to have taken control of the entire 271-kilometer stretch of the Myanmar-Bangladesh border on the Rakhine side, and since then the area has remained under its control.
