A Myanmar Border Guard Police logistics ship on Sunday morning fired shots at a Bangladeshi fishing trawler, wounding two fishermen along the international water boundary in River Naf in Cox鈥檚 Bazar.
The incident occurred at about 10:45am when Bangladesh Coast Guard director general Rear Admiral Mir Ershad Ali was inspecting the water boundary.
The Border Guard Bangladesh Teknaf commanding officer Mohiuddin Ahmed said that a ship of Myanmar BGP opened fire on the trawler carrying Bangladeshi fishermen near Naikyangdia.
鈥楾his is unexpected when we are providing shelter to their fleeing force [amid fighting between Myanmar military and the ethnic Arakan Army]. We have issued a protest note and are waiting for their reply,鈥� said Mohiuddin Ahmed.
Officials from the boarder said that the BGP ship was ferrying logistics amid troubling situation in Rakhine.
Cox鈥檚 Bazar police superintendent Mahfuzul Islam said that the incident took place between 10:00am and 11:00am on Naf estuary, leaving two fishermen of a fishing boat鈥擬ohammad Faruk, 25, and Mohammad Ismail, 20, wounded. They were rushed to Teknaf Upazila Health Complex.
鈥楾he incident took place when they were returning after catching fish. Both wee shot at legs and one of them [Faruk] was later rushed to the district hospital for better treatment,鈥� he told 抖阴精品.
Teknaf upazila health and family planning officer Pranoy Rudra said that Faruk was in critical condition as he sustained bullet wounds on his right leg, left thigh and left hand.
Trawler man Mohammad Yusuf said that they were returning after four days of fishing in the Bay of Bengal. When the trawler was crossing the Myanmar ship suddenly they opened fire.聽
He said that they were inside Bangladesh territory and raised hands and waved Bangladeshi flag. Local fisherman Mohammad Ayaz at Shahporir Dwip said that they were now feeling insecurity after the shooting incident.
The wounded are residents of Shahporir Dwip, said Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer Adnan Chowdhury.
On the day, the Coast Guard chief inspected the security arrangement at river Naf and told reporters that there was no threat in the area as security arrangements have been beefed up.聽
But soon after he had finished the statement, the Myanmar force opened fire at the Bangladeshi trawler.
BGB headquarters said that a total of 285 Myanmar personnel had taken shelter in Bangladesh since March 11.
In early February, 330 members of Myanmar security forces, including BGP, army personnel and immigration officials, took shelter in Bangladesh.
On February 15, they were handed over to the Border Guard Police of Myanmar amid tight security.
Thailand-based news portal The Irrawaddy reported this week that the junta was now facing the biggest threat after losing control of the strategic border regions adjacent to India, China and Bangladesh.