Dhaka summons Myanmar ambassador over cross-border firing
Bangladesh on Tuesday summoned Myanmar’s ambassador in Dhaka to formally protest a cross-border firing incident that injured a child near the Teknaf frontier.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called in Myanmar Ambassador U Kyaw Soe Moe and conveyed strong concern over the shooting, which occurred close to the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Cox’s Bazar district. In a statement, the ministry said the firing was unprovoked and posed a serious threat to civilian safety on the Bangladeshi side.
Dhaka stressed that any discharge of weapons across an international boundary violates international law and undermines the principles of peaceful coexistence and good neighbourly relations. Officials warned that repeated incidents along the border risk destabilising an already sensitive region that hosts more than one million Rohingya refugees who fled violence in Myanmar.
The foreign ministry urged Myanmar to take full responsibility for the incident and to put in place effective measures to ensure such episodes are not repeated. Bangladesh also made clear that clashes between Myanmar’s security forces and armed groups inside its territory must not endanger Bangladeshi citizens or disrupt livelihoods in border communities.
Security analysts note that the Teknaf-Naikhongchhari border has become increasingly volatile as fighting between the Myanmar military and ethnic armed groups intensifies in Rakhine state, occasionally sending stray bullets and shells across the frontier.
In response, Ambassador U Kyaw Soe Moe expressed regret over the incident and conveyed sympathy to the injured child and her family. He assured Bangladeshi officials that Naypyidaw would take steps to prevent future cross-border firing and maintain restraint along the border.
Bangladesh has repeatedly raised concerns with Myanmar over border security incidents in recent years, calling for stronger coordination and adherence to international norms to protect civilians on both sides.
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