Kaladan News

Dated 25/07/2003

Nasaka’s Reckless Shooting in a Bordering Village of Bangladesh

Cox’s Bazar, July 24: The Burmese Border Security Force (Nasaka) personnel crossed the international border over the Naf River and started firing at Ulobonia village in Waikhong Union under Teknaf Township of Cox’s Bazar district in southern Chittagong, Bangladesh, eyewitnesses told Kaladan Press.

In the afternoon of July 22, 2003, a section of Nasaka forces patrolling in the Naf River (a river demarcating Burma and Bangladesh) were chasing a group of smugglers crossing the border with smuggled goods via bordering Ulobonia village of Teknaf Township, they further added.

The Nasaka patrol group intruded into Bangladesh territory and some of them reached Ulobonia and started firing recklessly at their chase of the smugglers. People of Ulobonia and its surrounding villages were panic-stricken, the villagers of Ulobonia told our correspondent.

According to a local Bengali newspaper “Danik Cox’s Bazar” report, the villagers sought the involvement of Bangladesh Border guards, BDR, in this matter. But, They were upset at BDR’s inactivity.

It is mentionable that, two years ago, a warlike situation was turned out between Burma and Bangladesh over the issue of unilateral building by Burmese forces of a dam in the Naf River close to Ulobonia village. Thousands of soldiers of both countries were moved to the border at that time. ##

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