Residents of at least 15 villages, including Paschimkul, Camppara, Bazar Para of Tombru border in Naikhongchhari upazila of Bandarban, are passing every moment amid fear and uncertainty as there is no respite of shelling along the Myanmar border. Artillery and mortar shells are being fired sporadically along the border in Bangladesh.

Bandarban Deputy Commissioner Yasmin Parveen Tibriji and Superintendent of Police Tariqul Islam visited the border area on Monday morning to oversee the ongoing situation there.

At 10.30am, the deputy commissioner and SP went to visit SSC exam center at  KutupalongHigh School in Ukhia uapzila where 433 examinees are taking part in the examinations. The center was shifted to Ukhia from Ghumdhum on Saturday due to shelling and unstable situation on the border.

DC Yasmin during her visit in the center asked the examinees not to be worried about shelling along the border and uphold their mental strength to take part in examinations. Everything would be fine once the border situation is normal, she added.

Rajapalong UP member Helal Uddin said the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police visited Kachuboniya Government Primary School and Borobil Government Primary School.

Local administration has decided to shift 300 families to safer places from Ghumdhum border. Then the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police Ghumdhum visited the border.

According to sources, preparations are underway to evacuate 70 to 80 families from Ward No. 1 and 2 of Palangkhali union parishad to a safe place near Ghumdhum border.

Jamal Hossain, a farmer of Paschimkul village, said firing along the border started early morning and it continued from 3.00am to 5.00am.

He further said, “About 16 mortar shells were fired till 10:30 am. It seems hard to stay inside amid the sounds of firing.”

Ghumdhum UP Chairman AK Jahangir Aziz said hundreds of people in the area are not able to live a normal life due to the shelling of Myanmar that has been going on for two months.

“Cultivation in border areas is almost suspended due to the firing. Preparations are underway to evacuate at least 300 families from the border area to safe places.”