Afnan, a young girl in Teknaf, lost her life after stray bullets from Myanmar crossed into Bangladesh, prompting local protests and heightened security along the Cox’s Bazar border.
BY PC Bureau
January 11, 2026: A young Bangladeshi girl, identified as Afnan, aged between 7 and 12, was fatally struck by a stray bullet from Myanmar during escalating cross-border violence, highlighting the dangerous spillover from ongoing clashes in Rakhine State. The incident occurred in the Whykong (Hwaikyang) border area of Teknaf upazila, Cox’s Bazar, around 9:40 AM local time while the girl was playing near her home.
The deadly gunfire originated from ongoing clashes between the Arakan Army (AA) and Rohingya armed groups, reportedly including the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). According to Sub-Inspector Khokan Kanti Rudra of the Whykong Police Outpost, the fighting had started late the previous night and continued intermittently until mid-morning. Residents reported hearing continuous gunfire, explosions, mortar shells, and even drone activity from Myanmar’s Totardwip region.
🚨Child killed in Teknaf firing from Myanmar, tension on border
Locals said they could hear sporadic gunfire, bomb explosions, mortar shells and drone attacks from across the border.#SaveBangladesh pic.twitter.com/OwX5OyMBMI
— Battalion71 🇧🇩 (@ImbusyWarrior) January 11, 2026
At least one other person was injured, though some reports suggest multiple casualties. Lt. Col. Mohammad Zahirul Islam, Commander of the 64th Battalion of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), confirmed the incident and said additional forces from the Bangladesh Army, police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and Armed Police Battalion (APBn) were deployed to secure the area. Local residents, outraged by the tragedy, blocked the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf highway, demanding stronger protection from cross-border violence.
Escalating Tensions Along the Bangladesh-Myanmar Border
The Teknaf tragedy is the latest in a series of spillover incidents from Myanmar’s Rakhine State. The ongoing conflict has seen the AA battling Rohingya militant groups, including ARSA and the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO), with heavy weapons and mortar fire audible across the Naf River into Bangladesh.
Just days prior, on January 8, a 30-year-old Bangladeshi fisherman, Md Alamgir, was shot in the hand while fishing in Whykong, allegedly by AA members. In late December 2025, repeated explosions and gunfire were reported along the Ukhiya, Teknaf, and Naikhongchhari borders, intensifying fears among border communities.
READ: At Somnath, PM Modi Accuses Past Regimes of Erasing Temple’s Legacy
The violence has also seeped into Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, home to over a million displaced individuals. Between January 9-10, a clash in Nayapara Camp 26 over dominance between rival groups led to the death of 25-year-old Nur Kamal. Such incidents underscore how the broader conflict fuels tensions and instability in Bangladeshi camps.
The spillover is part of Myanmar’s ongoing civil conflict since 2021, which has repeatedly affected Bangladesh through refugee influxes and border violence. Thousands of Rohingya have fled to Bangladeshi camps or attempted dangerous sea journeys amid reports of atrocities by the AA.
Bangladeshi authorities have intensified patrols, urged residents to stay indoors, and called for diplomatic intervention to prevent further civilian casualties. Meanwhile, local communities remain on edge, fearing that clashes could escalate, drawing more refugees and militants into Bangladesh.
