Three Bangladeshi civilians were killed in a series of landmine explosions near the Ghumdhum border area in Bandarban’s Naikhongchhari upazila on Sunday, with local residents alleging that the mines had been planted by the Arakan Army along the Bangladesh-Myanmar frontier.
The explosions occurred around midday between border pillars 41 and 42 in an area reported to be inside Bangladeshi territory near the border with Myanmar’s Arakan State.
The victims were identified as Ongkyamong Tanchangya, 40, Chingkhyang Tanchangya, 32, and Chopoching Tanchangya, 35, all residents of Bhalukiyapara village under Ghumdhum Union.
According to local accounts, the three men were working in hillside farmland when the first blast occurred, seriously injuring one of them. As the others rushed forward to rescue the injured man, two more explosions took place one after another, killing all three at the scene.
Villagers who later arrived at the location found the bodies lying near the farmland and informed authorities.
Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), police and local residents jointly recovered the bodies from the area.
Colonel Mohiuddin Ahmed, sector commander of the BGB’s Ramu Sector, confirmed the incident.
Residents living along the frontier claimed that armed groups operating across the border, particularly the Arakan Army, had planted landmines in areas stretching along the border region, including locations that fall within Bangladeshi territory. However, no official statement has yet been issued by Bangladeshi authorities directly attributing responsibility for the explosives.
The incident has heightened fear among border communities already facing growing insecurity linked to the ongoing conflict in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
