Fighting between Myanmar's military and the Arakan Army, an armed rebel group continued in Maungdaw of Myanmar's Rakhine State from Friday night until the early hours of Saturday.
Maungdaw town is located south-east of Jaliapara of Teknaf municipality in Cox's Bazar.
The sounds of shelling all night have again created panic among the people living in the border area of Bangladesh.
According to the residents in border area, loud explosions can be heard in the border area. The rebel Arakan Army has captured most of Myanmar's junta area in the long-running war.
The country's junta government has launched a massive attack for several days to recover these places, because of which the border of Bangladesh is abuzz with the sound of gunfire.
Omar Farooq, a resident of the Teknaf border area, said: "It was a sleepless night due to shelling in Myanmar. Loud gunfire was heard till the morning. So, we had to stay up all night. Especially women and children were terrified."
Local public representatives on the border say hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas are still living in Myanmar. Maungdaw is currently under attack, where most Rohingya people live.
If the war continues, there may be a new Rohingya infiltration in Bangladesh, one of the local leaders said.
However, Teknaf-2 Battalion Acting Commander Major Ishtiaq Murshed said that the BGB is in a strict position to prevent infiltration on the border.
Meanwhile, the sound of explosions is coming from Kharankhali, Nhila of Teknaf municipality, Jadimura, Dhumdumia, Jaliapara of Naytongpara, Nazirpara, Sabrang, Shapuree Island of Teknaf municipality and the estuary of the Naf River. As a result, the Teknaf border is shaking with the sound of mortar shell explosions.
Gafur Alam, a resident of the border, said: “People could not sleep due to the loud sound of border shelling throughout the night. After a while, the sound of gunfire came from there and because of this, we got scared and came out of the house. We had never heard such a gunshot before. In this situation, the border can be infiltrated again at any moment.”
A Rohingya leader living in the camp said: “The intensity of the war in Rakhine has increased again in the last few days. As a result, Rohingyas living in camps in that country are contacting their relatives living in Bangladesh to flee. But I discourage them not to come here. Yet people are trying to flee fearing for their lives.”
On the other hand, there is a fierce clash between the separatist organization Arakan Army and the country's army in Maungdaw city of Myanmar. Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Bangladesh Coast Guard have increased patrolling on the Naf River and the border road from Whykong to Shapuree Island in Teknaf upazila. It is ongoing and members of law enforcement agencies, including BGB and Coast Guard, are ready to deal with any situation.
In this regard, Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Sheikh Ehsan Uddin said: “I also heard the sound of gunfire. Such loud noises are being made due to internal conflict in Myanmar. We are keeping an eye out for people living on the border area. Besides, our BGB and Coast Guard members are in a cautious position to prevent infiltration along the border.”