Teknaf villages again shaking from shelling in Myanmar

After a two-day pause through the Eid day, sounds of mortar fires and gunshots from Myanmar border areas have again started shaking the grounds in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar.

Amid the intensifying fighting between Rakhine's rebel Arakan Army group, and Myanmar junta, sounds of explosions started hitting Teknaf border villages from Tuesday morning and continued past Wednesday morning.

The BGB and Coast Guard have been put on heightened alert to prevent spillover of Myanmar’s civil war into Bangladesh, and the start of a new mass refugee influx.

Sabrang union is located opposite to Maungdaw, Myanmar’s latest conflict focal point. Chairman of the Union Noor Hossain told reporters that the shakings from explosions are like earthquakes, sparking fears that bordering houses could collapse any moment.

Teknaf Municipality’s Mayor Mojibur Rahman said since 8am of the second day of Eid grounds of around ten bordering villages started trembling at the sounds of explosions coming from the other side of the border.

The borders were quiet on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha and on the Eid day, he added.

Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Adnan Chowdhury said there are reports of some vessels floating on the waterways within Myanmar and that the overall situation is being carefully assessed.