Myanmar gunfire targets Saint Martin’s-bound Bangladeshi speedboat again
TEKNAF CORRESPONDENT
A Bangladeshi speedboat heading to Saint Martin’s Island from Teknaf was again targeted by gunfire from Myanmar on Tuesday, officials said.
The incident occurred around 11 am near Shah Parir Dwip Gholchar on the Teknaf-Saint Martin’s sea route, according to Khorshed Alam, president of the Teknaf-Saint Martin’s Speedboat Owners’ Association.
“While transporting a sick patient returning from treatment in Chittagong, the speedboat was fired upon randomly from a trawler near the Myanmar border at Gholchar,” Alam said. “The speedboat managed to reach Saint Martin’s Island, and fortunately, no one was injured.”
Mujibur Rahman, chairman of Saint Martin’s Union Parishad, confirmed the incident and expressed concern over repeated shootings. “Our Bangladeshi trawlers and speedboats have been targeted three times from the Myanmar border. As a result, no food supplies have reached Saint Martin’s Island from Teknaf for the past five days, causing significant anxiety among the island’s residents,” Rahman said. He called for increased patrolling by the Coast Guard and BGB.
Teknaf Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) Md. Adnan Chowdhury acknowledged the reports. “I heard that shots were fired at a speedboat heading to Saint Martin’s Island. Previously, election officials’ trawlers were also targeted twice from the Myanmar border,” he said.
On June 5, a trawler returning from St. Martin’s Island with election materials and officials was fired upon from Myanmar, causing damage but no injuries; on June 8, another cargo trawler was targeted, receiving seven bullet hits, with no injuries reported.
