A 12-year-old boy, identified as Satnaing Tanchangya, was killed in an explosion involving an abandoned mortar shell in the Ghumdhum border area of Naikhongchhari Upazila in Bandarban district on Tuesday afternoon. The incident occurred at approximately 3:30 pm in the Baishfari area, according to police.
Police said the boy’s family had settled in Baishfari around five to six years ago after crossing into Bangladesh from Myanmar. They have been living in the area since then.
The latest fatality follows another deadly incident in the same border region. On 24 May, three Bangladeshi plantation workers were killed in a landmine explosion in the Bhalukia area of the Ghumdhum border. In addition, local residents reported that two Bangladeshi nationals from Bhalukiapara who went to work in orchards near the border remain missing.
According to police and local residents, Satnaing lived in Baishfari Para, a settlement in the border area. On Tuesday morning, his father, Kinghla Tanchangya, and mother went to carry out jhum cultivation work and took their son with them. While they were constructing a jhum hut in a field located approximately 100 yards inside Bangladeshi territory from Border Pillar No. 9, the boy reportedly found an abandoned mortar shell.
Authorities said that while handling and playing with the unexploded ordnance, it detonated suddenly. The force of the explosion caused fatal injuries to the child. Local residents later recovered parts of the body and brought them back to Baishfari Para. After being informed, police from the Baishfari Investigation Centre arrived and recovered the remains.
Police records indicate that the family’s permanent home is in Medai village under Dekibunia Police Station in Maungdaw Township, Myanmar. According to police, they crossed the border and initially took shelter at a relative’s home in Baishfari Para after violence spread in their area of residence. Since then, they have continued to live in the settlement. Baishfari Para falls within Ward No. 3 of Ghumdhum Union in Naikhongchhari Upazila.
Recent Border-Related Fatal Incidents
| Date | Location | Incident | Casualties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 May | Bhalukia, Ghumdhum border | Landmine explosion | 3 Bangladeshi plantation workers killed |
| 2 June | Baishfari, Ghumdhum border | Abandoned mortar shell explosion | 1 boy killed |
Officer-in-Charge Mozammel Haque of Naikhongchhari Police Station confirmed that the body of the deceased boy had been recovered. He said a post-mortem examination would be conducted and further action would be taken in accordance with legal procedures.
The incident adds to a series of explosive-related casualties reported in the Ghumdhum border area in recent weeks, where residents have continued to face risks associated with explosive devices found near the frontier. The police have initiated the required legal procedures following the recovery of the body.