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🇧🇩 Bangladesh /Conflict & Security

Landmine Blasts Kill Three Near Bangladesh-Myanmar Border, Families Fear for Livelihoods

From Daily Star · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Three people, including two Tanchangya men and a Rohingya laborer, died in separate landmine explosions near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.
  • Victims' families are struggling to cope with the loss and fear for their livelihoods, as the landmines have made it too dangerous to tend their crops.
  • Residents question who is planting the mines inside Bangladesh, as the explosions occurred deep within the country's territory, far from the border.

Mathingching Tanchangya, a 30-year-old Marma woman, stares blankly, her world shattered. Just last week, she welcomed her third child, a daughter, but her husband, Shaifuching, will never see her. He died on May 24, stepping on a landmine while tending his banana plantation near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border.

How will I survive with these three children now?

— Mathingching TanchangyaA Marma woman mourning her husband who died in a landmine explosion.

"How will I survive with these three children now?" Mathing sobbed to a correspondent on Saturday, questioning why her husband had to die on his own land. Her neighbor, Ulaching, explained that the jhum fields are a two-hour walk from their village in Fatrajhiri, Ghumdhum Union, Naikhongchhari upazila, with the Myanmar border an hour further. Shaifuching and two others, Okyamong Tanchangya, 40, and Chikyong Tanchangya, 34, were killed in the incident. Ulaching recounted that Shaifuching was critically injured in the first blast, and a second explosion occurred when others rushed to his aid, killing them all.

Dukh Mala, whose husband Okyamong was among the victims, disputes previous media reports that claimed the men died after entering Myanmar. She is deeply worried about supporting her children. Ulaching added that nearly 400 Tanchangya families have jhum land in mined areas and are now too afraid to work. "Almost everyone has loans from NGOs. I have to pay around Tk 6,500 in monthly installments. But I am too afraid to go to my banana plantation. The bananas are ripening and rotting in the field. Our livelihoods are being destroyed," he said, demanding to know, "Who is planting these landmines inside Bangladesh?"

Almost everyone has loans from NGOs. I have to pay around Tk 6,500 in monthly installments. But I am too afraid to go to my banana plantation. The bananas are ripening and rotting in the field. Our livelihoods are being destroyed.

— UlachingA neighbor of the victims, describing the fear and economic impact of landmines on the community.

Another explosion on June 9 killed Abdul Khalek, a 30-year-old Rohingya laborer, in a banana plantation in Ghumdhum union. Residents claim these explosions occurred deep inside Bangladeshi territory, far from the border, making it difficult to believe the mines were planted by the Arakan Army from across the border. Since December 2024, the Arakan Army has controlled territory along the other side of the 271-kilometer Bangladesh border. Some villagers reported seeing an armed Rohingya group in the area.

Who is planting these landmines inside Bangladesh?

— UlachingA neighbor of the victims, questioning the origin of the landmines.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Daily Star in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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