Spillover of Myanmar conflict strikes

Dhaka, Bangladesh - Haunted by the roar of gunfire and mortar blasts, Abdul Gafur strains to recall the last time such violence shattered the peace near his home in a southeastern Bangladesh border village.

Life in Modhampara, nestled on the Ghumdhum border with Myanmar, has always been precarious, but the current escalation feels different.

“It’s like the sky itself is raining down on us,” Gafur told Anadolu, his voice heavy with despair. “The relentless sound of gunfire is unbearable. We can’t stay here any longer.”

For the past several weeks, Bangladesh’s border with Myanmar has become a battleground for the Southeast Asian nation’s military, known locally as the Tatmadaw, and an armed group known as the Arakan Army. Stray mortar shells and gunfire have forced Bangladeshi villagers in the border areas of Bandarban and Cox’s Bazar districts to abandon their homes and seek refuge.

In nearby Jalpaituli, where two villagers have been killed by a mortar shell from the other side of the border, the exodus has begun as terrified families flee their bamboo and tarpaulin homes.

As they seek refuge in government shelters, they must take the single winding road connecting these villages through the hills, but also leading to the volatile border, a stark reminder of the conflict.

Taking refuge in one of these shelters, Nur Jahan, a woman in her sixties, feels a deep injustice. “Police brought us here, saying it’s unsafe near the border,” she sighs. “But why must we leave our homes? This fight isn’t ours.”

Around a dozen schools in the border areas have already shut down indefinitely. Ferry services from Teknaf to the tourist hotspot of Saint Martin’s Island have also been halted over security concerns. Tourists stranded on the island are scrambling for ways to return to the mainland.