Trawlers and speedboats plying between Teknaf and Saint Martins Island are being repeatedly fired from Myanmar, causing food crisis in the island inhabited by at least 10,000 people.
Firing on Naikhongdia point of the Naf River on this route was reported at 11:30am on Tuesday. Several more rounds of firing occurred since June 5. As a result, people in the Saint Martins Island are facing looming food crisis as trawlers carrying goods cannot arrive the Island in the Bay of Bengal.
St Martins Union Parishad Chairman Mujibur Rahman said, "Several shots were fired at boats within a week. In this situation, ships plying on the Saint Martin route cannot enter Teknaf. All types of passenger and goods-carrying vessels on this route have suspended operation over the week. The residents of St. Martin are facing various problems. No one can leave the island even for emergency purposes." It is learnt that the war between the Myanmar government forces and rebel groups over taking control of Rakhine has been going on since February. The flames of this war are felt in the villages on the border of Bangladesh. However, it is not clear who are firing on Bangladeshi trawlers.
St Martins resident Mohammad Faisal said that trawlers on way to the Island from the Myanmar border are repeatedly being fired upon while passing through Naikhongdia area at the end of the Naf Rivers estuary. Due to shelling, many people who came from the Island a week ago are unable to return to St Martins .
Teknaf Upazila Election Officer Mehedi Hasan said, "When upazila election in St Martins ended on June 5, officers and a team of police including Assistant Commissioner (Land), Presiding Officer and Polling Officer were returning to Teknaf by a trawler, 25 to 30 rounds of bullets were fired on the trawler from the Myanmar side."
