Cox’s Bazar: Twelve Bangladeshi fishermen have reportedly been abducted by the Arakan Army from the Naf River estuary in Teknaf.
The incident occurred Saturday afternoon while the fishermen were returning home from St. Martin’s Island after fishing in the Bay of Bengal. They were seized along with two boats in the Naikkhyongdia waters. All abductees are residents of Shah Porir Dwip in Teknaf.
Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sheikh Ehsan Uddin confirmed the incident, stating that higher authorities, including the district administration, have been informed. “We hope they will be released soon,” he said.

The next round of biannual Director General–level talks between the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and India’s Border Security Force (BSF) will be held in Dhaka from August 25 to 28, BSF confirmed on Friday.

The last meeting took place in New Delhi in February this year. The upcoming conference will be led by BSF DG Daljit Singh Chaudhary, while BGB DG Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui will head the host delegation.

The agenda includes curbing cross-border crimes, fencing issues, border infrastructure, and joint efforts to implement the Coordinated Border Management Plan and Confidence-Building Measures, among other matters.

BSF personnel have detained a Bangladeshi man, Iqbal Hossain (38), from the Kutubpur border area in Meherpur.
Iqbal, son of Jarabat Hossain, was reportedly cutting grass in a field when he accidentally crossed into Indian territory. Witnesses said BSF soldiers beat him severely before taking him into custody.
Though BGB immediately called for a flag meeting, BSF did not respond. Later, BGB confirmed that Iqbal is being held at the BSF’s Hathishala camp and is in stable condition. BSF has indicated he may be repatriated through a commander-level flag meeting.

Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has handed back five Bangladeshi women to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) following a flag meeting at the Banglabandha frontier in Panchagarh.
The women—Jasmine Sultana (36), Parveen Khatun (38), Shirina Parveen (32), Amina Akter (40), and Laboni Akter (30)—had been detained in India. According to BGB, they had been working in households and beauty parlors in Gujarat for about a year. Indian police detained them recently and turned them over to BSF, which later returned them to Bangladesh. The women have since been transferred to Tentulia Police Station.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained four hijra individuals while they were attempting to illegally cross into India through the Bashatala border in Sunamganj.

The detainees were identified as Zahidul Islam (19), Reza Ahmed (20), Moskan Akhter (20), and Roni Hasan (25).

BGB intercepted them around 3 a.m. Wednesday at the zero point of the Bashatala border. They were later handed over to Doarabazar police, who filed a case and presented them before the Sunamganj court later in the day.

Seventeen Bangladeshi nationals — men and women — were detained by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) while attempting to enter the country illegally from India through the Maheshpur border in Jhenaidah.
According to 58 BGB Assistant Director Munshi Imdadur Rahman, four women and three men from Narail and Khulna were detained at Baghdanga village in the morning. Six men from Jashore were caught at Jinjirpara village around noon, followed by four more women apprehended from Khosalpur fields. All detainees have been handed over to Justice and Care, Jashore branch.

Five Bangladeshi fishermen from Shah Porir Dwip, Teknaf, were abducted at gunpoint by Myanmar’s Arakan Army from the Naf River estuary near Naikhyongdia. The abductees are Md. Ilyas, his sons Akkal Ali and Nur Hossain, along with Saber Hossain and Saiful Islam.
According to Teknaf’s UNO Sheikh Ehsan Uddin, the armed group used a speedboat to seize the men along with their fishing boat.

After a long lull, the sound of gunfire has returned to the Ghumdhum border area in Bandarban. On Sunday night, intermittent shooting inside Myanmar sparked panic in nearby Bangladeshi villages.
Locals suspect heavy clashes near two Arakan Army camps in Tumbru’s Narikel Bagan area. BGB Commander Lt. Col. S.M. Khairul Alam said the gunfire occurred about 300–330 meters inside Myanmar, possibly between the Arakan Army and ARSA or RSO rebels. No bullets crossed into Bangladesh, but BGB remains on high alert.

The Indian Border Security Force has handed over 10 Bangladeshi nationals to BGB via Nakugaon land port in Sherpur after a formal flag meeting on Sunday night.
The group, which included men, women, and children from Rajshahi’s Godagari and Tanore upazilas, had crossed into India without documents at different times. After the handover, they were transferred to Nalitabari police custody.

The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) reportedly pushed 18 Bangladeshi nationals, including women and children, across the border into Naogaon’s Dhamoirhat and Sapahar areas.

Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Iqbal Hossain, commander of the 14 BGB Battalion, stated that a patrol from Kalupara BOP spotted the group early in the morning wandering in an orchard about 50 yards inside Bangladeshi territory.

The returnees said they had previously traveled to Mumbai illegally, seeking work. Four men worked as construction laborers and seven women worked as domestic help. They were later arrested by Indian police. At dawn, BSF personnel from the Balurghat camp forced them back into Bangladesh.

A similar group was intercepted at the Sapahar border, all of whom had also crossed illegally into India for employment several years ago.

Police have recovered the body of a youth who drowned in Harirampur Beel, a border area near Meherpur, while fleeing from the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

The deceased, Babu Sheikh alias Mithu (40), was a known drug user, according to family members. On Wednesday evening, four youths attempted to cross into India when they were chased by a BGB patrol. While three managed to swim ashore, Babu went missing. His body was discovered floating in the beel the next morning.

One Bangladeshi national, Md. Millat Hossain (21), was killed and another, Md. Afsar (31), injured after Indian Border Security Force (BSF) opened fire at the Basbariya border in Parshuram upazila, Feni. The incident occurred late Thursday night when the two reportedly crossed the border into Indian territory. Locals rescued the injured and took them to the hospital, where Millat later died. The area is known for smuggling activity, and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has confirmed it will lodge an official protest.

A longstanding border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia has erupted into deadly violence. Thai F-16 fighter jets carried out airstrikes targeting Cambodian positions, killing nine civilians and injuring at least 14 in Thailand. Both countries are blaming each other for the aggression. As a result, nearly 40,000 residents from the border areas have been evacuated. Diplomatic relations have deteriorated, with both nations imposing trade and diplomatic restrictions. Analysts warn the conflict may escalate further unless de-escalation steps are taken immediately.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained six individuals—four women, one child, and one man—attempting to illegally enter India through Maheshpur, Jhenaidah. The arrests were made in separate operations across Shrinathpur, Khosalpur, and Baghadanga areas by the 58 BGB Battalion. The detained man, Nur Islam, has been handed over to police, while the women and child were sent to the Justice and Care Center in Jessore. Police said preparations for legal proceedings are underway.

The 34 Battalion of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has provided financial assistance to four Bangladeshi nationals injured by a landmine explosion planted by Myanmar forces along the Naikhongchhari border in Bandarban. The victims, residents of Tumbru and Ukhiya areas, were collecting firewood near the zero line when the explosion occurred. BGB sources report that the Arakan Army has been planting landmines along the border, leading to such tragic incidents. BGB Commander Lt. Col. Khairul Alam stated that support for the injured and underprivileged will continue.