In the face of continuous gunfire and mortar shelling inside Myanmar close to the Bangladesh border for six hours on Saturday, local authorities have evacuated 30 families in Dochari and Ghumdhum unions of Bandarban's Naikhongchhari upazila.  The sound and fury on the Myanmar side of the international border, where the Myanmar army is engaged in fighting a well-resourced insurgency forged by the Arakan Army, started again today, after a week's lull. Firing resumed on the Myanmar side of Bangladesh's border – from Dochari to Ghumdhum union – at 1pm and continued till 6:30pm, gripping the locals with fear. Gunshots and explosions have often been heard in the border areas for a few months as the country's military has clashed with separatist groups.  Md Rahman, a local of Dochari union's Jamchhari, said the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed organisation based in Rakhine state, had stopped taking up positions near the border for a long time, instead operating deep inside Myanmar. "But over the past week, the Arakan Army has positioned itself closer to the border." Naikhongchhari Sadar union parishad chairman Nurul Absar Imon, who is now in Jamchhari, said: "For several days, there was no firing in the area but it suddenly started again at 1pm today and continued till 6:30pm, sending a panic wave among the locals." "At least 15 rounds of stray bullets from Myanmar landed in Bangladesh. Thirty families whose houses are too close to the border were evacuated to safety amid heavy shelling and firing inside Myanmar. And there was no casualty inside Bangladesh," Imon added. 

Chadian security forces opened fire on anti-government demonstrators in the country’s two largest cities Thursday killing at least 60 people, the government spokesman and a morgue official said. Authorities imposed a curfew after the violence, which came amid demonstrations in the central African nation against interim leader Mahamat Idriss Deby’s two-year extension of power. Chadian government spokesman Aziz Mahamat Saleh said 30 people were dead in the capital, N’Djamena. Organizers of the march, though, placed the toll higher, at 40. Another 32 protesters were killed in Chad’s second-largest city, Moundou, according to an official in the city’s morgue. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said more than 60 people were wounded. Other protests were held in the towns of Doba and Sarh. Read: 15 killed, 50 injured in anti-UN protests in Congo’s east These were the deadliest anti-government protests since Deby took over last year in the wake of his father’s assassination after more than three decades in power. Officials said the late President Idriss Deby Itno was killed by rebels while visiting Chadian troops on the battlefield in the country’s north in April 2021. At the main reference hospital in N’Djamena, overwhelmed doctors tended to scores of people with gunshot wounds. Some of the wounded were taken to Liberty Hospital by army vehicles and bore signs of having been tortured, witnesses said. Witnesses say demonstrators began to blow whistles at 3 a.m. all over the capital of N’Djamena. Police fired tear gas at the crowds but the demonstrators continued advancing and their numbers grew. It was then that security forces opened fire, leaving protesters struggling to gather the dead from the scene amid the tear gas. Among those killed was a Chadian journalist, Narcisse Oredje, who worked for CEFOD radio and was struck by a bullet.

Within days of firing mortar shells, fighter jets of Myanmar army have fired bullets towards Bangladesh this time, which have created panic among people living at the border. According to Dil Mohammad Alam, a local union parishad member of Tombru area under Naikhongchhari’s Ghumdhum union, Myanmar fighter jets fired 10-15 bullets between border pillar number 34 and 35 on Friday at about 10:45pm. “Besides firing, sporadic sounds of explosions were also heard throughout the day,” Dil Mohammad said. Amir Hamza, a local trader, said that although sounds of firing bullets and mortar shells between other pillars of Naikhongchhari remained suspended for the time being, this hasn’t been the case for pillar number 34 and 35. Read: Unexploded mortar shells found near Bangladesh-Myanmar border “It seems like the latest round of firing is taking a permanent shape with the passing of time. All of us living in this part of the border are fearing for our lives as the intermittent sound of firing isn’t showing any sign of stopping,” Amir said. According to sources, the locals also heard the sounds of a total of four explosions at 8:00am, 5:10pm, 5:28pm and 6:00pm.

Law enforcement agencies have further strengthened security measures along Bangladesh-Myanmar border at Naikhongchhari point as locals reported firing from helicopters from the Myanmar side today (September 3, 2022), says an official. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will summon Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh Aung Kyaw Moe again on Sunday to lodge strong protest regarding the matter, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam told UNB. Around 9:20 am two helicopters and two aircraft appeared between pillar No 40 and 41 under Reju Amtali Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) BOP at Ghumdhum union of the upazila, said Md Jahangir Aziz, Chairman of Ghumdhum Union Parishad. “Two mortar shells fell 120 meters inside the Bangladesh border,” he said. For last few days tension has been growing along the Myanmar border with Bangladesh which has also spread among locals at Naikhongchhari and Ghumdhum border areas, said Md Tariqul Islam, Superintendent of Bandarban police. “Today locals have reported spotting firingfrom a Myanmar helicopter near the border and two mortar shells dropped from it” he said. The law enforcement agencies including Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) remains alert and intelligence surveillance has also been increased near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, said SP Tariqul Islam. Also read: “BGB vigilant, none can enter from Myanmar now” On Thursday, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam said Bangladesh is better prepared so that none can enter from Myanmar now due to the deteriorated situation in Rakhine state.   The Myanmar side was warned twice in August following mortar shells landing in Bangladesh territory from Myanmar and strong protest was lodged in this regard. “We do not want to step into Myanmar's provocation or trap,” he said, adding that they (Myanmar side) might have a strategic benefit if they can move in such a unilateral direction. Also read: MOFA lodges strong protest over Myanmar’s mortar shells into Bangladesh The Ministry of Foreign Affairs last Monday summoned Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh Aung Kyaw Moe and lodged a strong protest against Myanmar’s mortar shells landing inside Bangladesh territory a day earlier.

Two persons were killed and over 30 others injured in a clash that broke out between two groups over establishing dominance in Kacharikandi village of Narsingdi district early Thursday. The deceased were identified as Hiron Mia, 35, son of Ashraf Mia, and Sabir Mia, 26, son of Marfot Ali. Both were residents of Kacharkandi village in Raipura upazila. Read: BNP men clash with police in city The clash broke out between one group led by former UP member Shah Alam and another led by Shah Alam in the village around 4am. The clash soon took a violent turn when the two groups opened fire at each other. And during the exchange of fire, Hiron and Sabir, members of the second group, sustained bullet injuries and died on the spot, police said. Read: Chattogram: Two killed in clash over boundary wall dispute Upon information, OC Azizur Rahman of the Raipura Police Station, ASP Satyojit Bose of Raipura circle and Raipura UNO rushed to the spot with a heavy police force. ASP Satyojit said that "the situation is under control now". "Cops have been deployed in the area. Legal action will be initiated after a preliminary probe," he added.