Calm returns to border areas along Myanmar
People were seen going to the markets, and farmers also returned to the fields along the border
Calm has returned to border areas along Myanmar as local people inside the Bangladesh territory are not hearing the sound of gunfire with the rebel group Arakan Army taking control of some key areas on the other side.
The ongoing conflict in Myanmar affected the border areas of Bangladesh for a week. Two people were killed and 10 were injured by mortar shells fired from the neighbouring country. As a result local people had to leave the areas for safer places.
On Sunday, local markets in the Ghundum union, including Ghundum Bazar, Betbunia Bazar, Tumbru Bazar, Paschimkul, Nayapara, Konarpara, and Hindupara reopened. People were seen going to the markets, and farmers also returned to the fields along the border.
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Hamid Ullah, a resident of Ghundum's Konarpara, works on a dairy farm. While returning with more than 20 cows, he told The Business Standard, "There is hardly any sound of gunfire. There are also no mortar shell explosions. There was some gunfire in the distance at night. The situation is better now."
Dil Mohammad, a grocery store owner at Tumbru Bazar, said, "Most of the people are returning to their home. The situation has been good for the last three days. Many had gone to relatives' houses in Ukhia of Cox's Bazar and other places. Everyone is now coming back."
Hashem Shah, an easy bike driver in the Ghundum area, said, "Two mortar shells have fallen in Paschimkul and Ghundum. The spots have been encircled with red flags. Otherwise, the situation is good. Everyone has started returning home."
Anwarul Islam, a member of the Ghundum union parishad, said, "People never want to leave their birthplace or their ancestral land. But they were bound to seek shelter because of the deteriorating situation. As the situation has improved, people have been slowly coming back. The men came first. Then they brought their families. We are border people. We have to live with this."
In addition to the Ghundum, there were also gunshots and mortar shells in the border areas of Palongkhali union in Ukhia upazila and Hnila union in Teknaf Upazila of Cox's Bazar. In these areas, border houses and shops were also hit by bullets.
On Saturday, residents of Uttarpara and Majherpara under Hnila heard continuous and intermittent gunfire for three hours starting from 5am. In these areas, bullets fell on the fields, field enclosures, several houses and shops near the border. However, the situation has been calm since then.
M Gofur Uddin Chowdhury, chairman of the Palongkhali union parishad, said people have returned to work as the shelling has stopped.
A body was found floating under the Balukhali Bridge in Ukhia yesterday morning. The police recovered the unidentified body. The body has a helmet on its head and gloves on its hands. Locals suspect that the body is that of Rohingya terrorist Abu Kalam.
On Saturday afternoon, the police recovered another unidentified body from the border area of Rahmaterbil area of Palongkhali.
Earlier, the police arrested 23 Rohingya for trying to enter Bangladesh. A case was filed against them on Saturday.
During the fighting in the border areas, 330 Border Guard Police personnel, customs, and army personnel, including Myanmar nationals, took refuge in Bangladesh.
