Arakan Army Allegedly Shoots, Abducts on Naf River

Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar – The Arakan Army (AA), an armed rebel group in Myanmar, has been accused of shooting two and abducting three Bangladeshi fishermen on the Naf River, escalating tensions along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.

The incident took place on Sunday, May 11, near Jaliapara in Shah Porir Dwip, when three fishermen reportedly drifted into Myanmar waters while fishing, according to Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sheikh Ehsan Uddin. Two 18-year-old fishermen, Hedayet Ullah and Md Hossain, were shot and later admitted to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital, where they are reported to be out of danger.

In a separate but related incident, three more fishermen—Siddiq Hossain (27), Rabiul Alam (27), and Mahmud Hossain (30)—were abducted at gunpoint while fishing in the Lada area of Hnila Union, confirmed Nurul Huda, a local Union Parishad member.

Lt Col Ashiqur Rahman, commanding officer of Border Guard Bangladesh Teknaf Battalion (BGB-2), stated that the military is verifying the identities of the abducted individuals and the circumstances under which they were fishing near the sensitive border zone.

The Naf River, which marks the boundary between Bangladesh and Myanmar, has long been a tense and militarized zone. This latest incident adds to the rising insecurity and militarization affecting not only Rohingya refugees but also local Bangladeshi civilians and fishermen.

Rohingya Vision News