Mir Afroz Zaman

The conflict between the Arakan Army and government forces has intensified in Maungdoo township area of Rakhine State, Myanmar. From last Friday night, the sound of mortar shell, grenade-bomb explosions from different areas of Mangdu is heard in different areas of Teknaf, Bangladesh bordering Myanmar. The sound of explosion was heard till 11 o'clock today Saturday. Residents of Teknaf are also in fear.

Amidst the ongoing conflict in Rakhine, many Rohingyas have fled into Bangladesh despite the increased activity of security forces along the border. According to several sources on the border, about 12,000 Rohingyas have entered Bangladesh in the last two weeks. Another 50,000 Rohingya are trying to cross the border into Bangladesh. The conflict in Myanmar's Rakhine state has been going on for six months. Now the conflict is at its most intense.

Arafa Begum, councilor of Teknaf Municipality, told Prothom Alo, "Houses on the other side are shaking due to the explosion of mortar shells and powerful grenades". Hearing the sound of the explosion, it seems that a bomb is falling on the shed of the residence. Children are starting to cry when they wake up due to loud explosions at night.

Palongkhali Union Parishad Chairman of Ukhia Upazila Gafur Uddin Chowdhury said that many Rohingyas have already entered Bangladesh by avoiding the eyes of BGB and Coast Guard forces. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas have gathered at various points in Rakhine state to cross into Bangladesh.

Bangladesh's Teknaf Upazila lies across the four-kilometer-wide Naf River opposite Maungdoo Township in Rakhine (west). People's representatives of Teknaf said that in the dark of night, Rohingyas from Sudapara, Faizipara, Sikdarpara and Nurullapara villages of Mangdu township are entering Bangladesh by crossing Naf river with boats. Most of the Rohingyas are entering Bangladesh through Jadimora, Damdamia, Keruntali, Baritli, Nightungpara, Jaliapara, Nazirpara, Moulvipara, Nayapara, Shahpari Dwip, Jaliapara, Mistripara, Gholarchar, Khurermukh, Alir Dale, Maheshkhaliapara, Lambri, Tulatli, Rajacharchra, Bahara coast. More than 400 Rohingyas entered Bangladesh on Friday night alone. About 50,000 Rohingyas have gathered in Parangpuru in the north of Mangdu and Fadongcha in the south and are trying to enter Bangladesh. They have recently been displaced from their homes by the ongoing conflict in Rakhine.

Stating that the Rohingyas are entering through brokers, Ward No. 9 member of Teknaf Sadar Union Nazir Ahmad said that in the last few days, he has arrested hundreds of Rohingyas and handed them over to the BGB with the help of local residents while infiltrating through the Kerantali border. BGB sent these Rohingya back to Myanmar again.

Last night, 30 Rohingyas from four families, including 15 children and 9 women, took shelter in the house of a resident of Kerantali in Teknaf after crossing Naf river. Their home is in Sudapara, a village near Mangdu township. Two of them, Zaheda Begum (35) and Noor Jahan (40), said that the Arakan Army has been fighting fiercely with the government forces in Mangdu for seven to eight days. Both sides are using powerful grenade-bombs, mortar shells as well as drone strikes in the war. Bombs are also being dropped from warplanes. Many people are getting injured.

They said that many Rohingya settlements were burnt during the war. Rohingyas are trying to enter Bangladesh to save their lives. However, there is a problem in entering Bangladesh due to lack of boats.

Sabbir Ahmad, another member of the party, said that the brokers took Tk 20,000 to Tk 30,000 per head from them (Rohingyas) to cross Naf river and enter Teknaf.

Additional Commissioner of the Office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Mohammad Samchu-Ddouza said, Rohingyas are taking shelter in various shelters. However, there are no accurate statistics of how many Rohingyas have entered so far.