Local Residents in Teknaf's Waikhong Protest Border Violence After Child Critically Injured in Cross-Border Shooting

News January 13, 2026

Tensions escalated along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border as local Bangladeshi residents in the Waikhong (Whykong) area of Teknaf Upazila staged a demonstration at the Waikhong market on January 12, 2026, around 10 a.m. The protest followed a stray bullet incident from intense clashes between the Arakan Army (AA) and Islamist Militant groups — including the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), Arakan Rohingya Army (ARA), and Rohingya Islamic Mahaz (RIM) — that left a young child severely wounded.

According to local reports and eyewitness accounts, heavy gunfire and explosions erupted on the Myanmar side near Kyee Island and areas opposite Waikhong union, starting late on January 10 and continuing into January 11 morning. Stray bullets crossed into Bangladeshi territory, striking homes in the Waikhong area.

A 9- to 10-year-old schoolboy named Huzaifa (or Hozaifa) Afnan (also reported in variations as Huzaifa Soltana Apnan or similar), a resident of the area and a student at a local primary school, was critically injured when a bullet hit him, reportedly in the head or body. He was rushed to a local health facility before being transferred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for intensive care, where he remains in serious condition.

In response, angry locals gathered at Waikhong market to voice their grievances and demand immediate government action. Protesters blocked roads and raised slogans calling for enhanced border security and an end to the spillover of Myanmar's internal conflict.

The demonstrators' key demands and questions directed at the Bangladesh government include:

1. Despite the presence of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel along the border, why are (Rohingya) Islamist militant groups able to operate and engage in fighting so close to Bangladeshi territory?

2. With special police forces (APBn) deployed inside the refugee camps, why are armed militant individuals still active and causing trouble outside the camps?

3. Immediate measures to stop the ongoing clashes along the border and ensure civilian safety.

4. Restoration of lasting peace and stability in the border region.

5. Serious concerns over the presence of armed militants establishing camps near the border, posing a direct security threat to local Bangladeshi communities — with a strong demand to dismantle and remove these armed elements from the border areas.

The protest reflects growing frustration among Teknaf residents, who say they are caught in the crossfire of Myanmar's Rakhine State conflict. Recent clashes have also led to the detention of dozens of fleeing militants by BGB forces, further underscoring the spillover risks.