Shelling from across the border killed two people in Bangladesh as hundreds pour into the country to escape the conflict between the Myanmar military and rebels

Desk Report:

Dhaka has summoned Myanmar’s ambassador to lodge a protest as the ongoing conflict between military forces and armed insurgents spilled across the border and resulted in casualties on Bangladeshi territory.

Ambassador U Aung Kyaw Moe met with Mainul Kabir, director general of the foreign ministry’s Myanmar wing, at the State Guest House Padma on Tuesday.

Kabir raised objections to the deadly shelling from across the border that led to two deaths in Bandarban’s Naikhongchhari on Monday and spread panic among the local population.

Addressing the media after the meeting, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud decried the effects of Myanmar’s internal clashes on Bangladesh, highlighting an influx of fleeing security personnel and civilians from across the border.

As of Tuesday morning, 229 people, including Myanmar’s border guards and military personnel, have escaped the conflict and taken refuge in Bangladesh, according to the Border Guard Bangladesh.

Mahmud underscored the gravity of the situation, highlighting the entry of people, along with arms and ammunition, from Myanmar into Bangladesh. “Our citizens are being harmed and losing their lives. We’ve lodged a strong protest against these issues.”

“At a time when we are working to repatriate the Rohingya refugees, such incidents are unwelcome and unacceptable.”

While it remains uncertain if more people will cross into Bangladesh, some of the injured had been initially sent to Cox’s Bazar and then to Chattogram for treatment, according to him.