THE firing of gunshots from inside Myanmar into Bangladesh at Teknaf is worrying. Officials say that three bullets fired from Myanmar hit a window glass of the land port office, a truck and a tree about 1:30pm on September 18 forced a suspension of activities at the Teknaf land port about half an hour after as people, who became panicked at the happening, started running to safety. The upazila nirbahi officer at night said that activities of the land port had been suspended since the firing. The officer said that activities of the land port could resume after a review of the situation. The firing inside Bangladesh took place when the military in Myanmar is reported to be fighting with various groups in its territory. Because of conflicts that go on in Myanmar, gunshots could be regularly heard in bordering areas of Teknaf and Ukhiya on several occasions in several months. This is not the first time. Myanmar in September 2021 fired three mortar shells inside the Bangladesh territory in the Tambru border in Bandarban, leaving a young man dead and six other wounded. Myanmar fired two mortar shells 120 metres inside Bangladesh earlier that month. It also fired mortar shells inside Bangladesh twice in August 2021.
Myanmar authorities are reported to have been fighting their own people and killing them for a long time. The United Nations, which described atrocities of Myanmar鈥檚 military against its own people in 2017 as 鈥榓 textbook example of ethnic cleansing鈥�, is reported to have feared in August 2024 a further decline in Rakhine State. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said that the happenings could be a likely repeat of the 2017 atrocities of Myanmar鈥檚 security forces against the Rohingyas, which forced about a million of them to cross the border to safety into Bangladesh. Myanmar鈥檚 oppression on its own people and its impact on Bangladesh by way of a large-scale exodus of the Rohingyas to safety and the recent influx of at least 12,000 Rohingyas all have implications that Bangladesh and the world community should seriously ponder over. Bangladesh authorities earlier summoned Myanmar鈥檚 ambassador in Dhaka after each of the incidents and handed him protest notes. The authorities have so far dealt with the issue diplomatically, apparently at the bilateral level, with Myanmar. But there seems to be nothing but escalation, which on part of Myanmar鈥檚 continued violation of Bangladesh鈥檚 territory. After diplomatic efforts could not be effective, Bangladesh authorities earlier also failed to impress on India, Russia and China, all having good relations with Myanmar, to play their part in dissuading Myanmar from such activities.
The military-run Myanamr, mired in low credibility the world over, appears to be violating the international law by firing and shelling inside Bangladesh. A peaceful means should be pursued in the resolution of the issue. Yet, Bangladesh authorities should take it up with the United Nations, if required. They should step up diplomatic efforts, regionally and internationally, to reach a resolution.
