Explosions heard again across Ghumdhum border, BGB on high alert

GHUMDHUM CORRESPONDENT, BANDARBAN

Sounds of gunfire were reported from inside Myanmar across the Ghumdhum border in Bandarban’s Naikhongchhari Upazila, Bangladesh, on Tuesday (January 2nd), local sources confirmed. 

The incident, involving the discharge of four rounds near Border Pillar 34, heightened tensions among residents living near the border area. 

In response, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has ramped up its alert status to ensure heightened security along the frontier.

This disturbance follows a prolonged seven-hour clash on Sunday (December 31st) near Tumbru border’s Pillars 35 and 36, where Myanmar’s Junta forces engaged with rebel groups in the Ko-Ko Dinga area.

In an alarming development early Monday (January 1st), a stray bullet hit the roof of Joyanal Abedin’s kitchen in Tumbru Madhyampara, barely a day after a similar incident where a bullet struck the Nur Meher Department Store in Tumbru Bazar on Sunday afternoon. No injuries were reported in either case.

Mohammad Alam, a local UP member, conveyed that villagers in Tumbru have been experiencing anxiety due to the audible presence of both light and heavy weapons fire from across the Myanmar border.

As a precautionary measure, Ghumdhum Union Parishad officials have advised locals to stay away from the border vicinity.

When approached for comment, Colonel Mohammad Saiful Islam Chowdhury, commander of the 34-BGB, referred to the incidents as internal matters of Myanmar, suggesting no immediate cause for panic or fear. 

He assured that the BGB has intensified its patrols along the border and is prepared to counter any potential infiltrations.