In a span of just 24 hours, 26 Bangladeshi fishermen were reportedly abducted by Myanmar’s Arakan Army from the Naf River estuary in Cox’s Bazar, a coastal district in southeastern Bangladesh. This alarming incident, coupled with the ongoing Rohingya refugee crisis now in its eighth year, underscores the volatile situation along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, where conflict, displacement, and lawlessness continue to spiral.
Escalating Abductions of Fishermen
The latest wave of abductions occurred in the Naikhyangdia area of Teknaf, a sub-district of Cox’s Bazar. According to local authorities, 14 fishermen and two trawlers were seized on the most recent day, following the abduction of 12 others with a boat the previous day. Sheikh Ehsan Uddin, the Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), confirmed the reports, stating that law enforcement agencies are actively addressing the situation. However, the identities of the 14 fishermen taken in the latest incident remain unconfirmed.
Sajed Ahmed, president of the Kayukkhali Boat Owners Association in Teknaf, highlighted the circumstances surrounding the abductions. He noted that rough weather had forced some trawlers to return to the jetty when the Arakan Army seized two vessels with their crews. The incident has sent shockwaves through the local fishing community, already reeling from similar abductions in the past. On August 12, five fishermen from Jaliapara in Shah Porir Dwip were taken from the same Naf River area, and their fate remains unknown. 
The owners of the recently seized trawlers, Syed Alam and Faridul Alam from Teknaf, described a pervasive sense of fear among fishermen and traders. They emphasized the urgent need for government intervention to protect livelihoods and restore confidence in the region. The repeated abductions, attributed to the Arakan Army—a rebel group fighting for autonomy in Myanmar’s Rakhine State—highlight the spillover of Myanmar’s internal conflict into neighboring Bangladesh, with dire consequences for local communities.
The Rohingya Crisis: A Protracted Humanitarian Emergency
Compounding the insecurity in Cox’s Bazar is the unresolved Rohingya refugee crisis, which has now persisted for eight years. Since the 2017 military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, which the United Nations has described as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing, over a million Rohingya have sought refuge in Bangladesh. Despite international efforts to facilitate repatriation, the situation in Myanmar remains too unstable for any meaningful return, leaving refugees stranded in overcrowded camps with deteriorating conditions.
Recent estimates suggest that between 25,000 and 30,000 additional Rohingya are waiting across the Myanmar-Bangladesh border, hoping to enter Cox’s Bazar. This continued influx is placing immense pressure on local resources and law enforcement. Reports indicate a sharp rise in criminal activities within the refugee camps, including violence and tensions that are increasingly difficult for authorities to manage. The strain on infrastructure and security has led to growing concerns about the sustainability of hosting such a large displaced population without adequate support.
International aid for the Rohingya has been steadily declining, exacerbating the challenges faced by humanitarian organizations. Funding shortages have made it harder to provide essential services like education and healthcare. Over the past eight years, tens of thousands of Rohingya children have been denied access to formal schooling, while living conditions in the camps have worsened significantly. Humanitarian groups are now issuing urgent calls for increased global support to address what they describe as a deepening crisis with no end in sight.
Myanmar’s Instability: A Barrier to Solutions
The root of both the abductions and the refugee crisis lies in Myanmar’s ongoing internal conflict. Since the military coup in February 2021, the country has descended into chaos, with armed groups like the Arakan Army clashing with the junta and each other in a struggle for control. Rakhine State, the epicenter of the Rohingya crisis, remains a hotspot of violence, rendering repatriation efforts futile. Discussions between Bangladesh, Myanmar, and international mediators have repeatedly stalled, as the security situation in Rakhine shows no signs of improvement.
The Arakan Army, which seeks greater autonomy for the ethnic Rakhine population, has been accused of targeting civilians and cross-border communities as part of its broader campaign against the Myanmar military. While the group has denied some allegations of abductions and violence, incidents like those in Cox’s Bazar continue to fuel tensions. For Bangladeshi fishermen, the Naf River—a shared waterway between the two countries—has become a dangerous frontier, where the risk of abduction looms large over every journey.
Beyond the immediate impact on local livelihoods, the cross-border activities of groups like the Arakan Army raise serious questions about regional stability. Bangladesh, already burdened by the Rohingya crisis, now faces additional security challenges as Myanmar’s conflict spills over its borders. Analysts warn that without a coordinated international response, the situation could further deteriorate, potentially destabilizing the wider region.
Local and Global Implications
For the fishing communities of Cox’s Bazar, the abductions represent not just a loss of life and property but a threat to an entire way of life. Fishing in the Naf River and the Bay of Bengal has long been a vital source of income for thousands of families in Teknaf and surrounding areas. With each abduction, fear grows, and many fishermen are now hesitant to venture out, risking economic hardship in an already impoverished region. The Bangladeshi government faces mounting pressure to secure the border and protect its citizens, but limited resources and the complexity of the situation pose significant obstacles.
Meanwhile, the plight of the Rohingya remains a stark reminder of the human cost of Myanmar’s turmoil. The refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, among the largest in the world, are a testament to both Bangladesh’s generosity and the international community’s failure to find a lasting solution. As funding dwindles and conditions worsen, the risk of radicalization, exploitation, and further violence within the camps grows. Humanitarian workers on the ground stress that without renewed global commitment—both in terms of financial aid and diplomatic pressure on Myanmar—the crisis will only deepen.
The dual challenges of abductions and displacement also carry broader geopolitical implications. Bangladesh’s relationship with Myanmar, already strained by the Rohingya issue, faces further tests as cross-border incidents mount. Regional bodies like ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) have struggled to mediate effectively in Myanmar’s conflict, with internal divisions and differing national interests hampering progress. For now, Bangladesh appears to bear the brunt of the crisis, with little respite in sight.
Looking Ahead: An Uncertain Future
As the Arakan Army’s actions continue to disrupt lives in Cox’s Bazar and the Rohingya crisis shows no sign of resolution, the border region between Bangladesh and Myanmar remains a flashpoint of human suffering and insecurity. The Bangladeshi government, humanitarian organizations, and local communities are grappling with challenges that require not just immediate action but a long-term, internationally supported strategy.
For the fishermen of Teknaf, each day brings new risks, while for the Rohingya, the hope of returning home fades with each passing year. The question now is whether the global community can muster the will to address this protracted crisis before it spirals further out of control. As tensions simmer along the Naf River, the human toll of Myanmar’s unrest continues to grow, casting a long shadow over the region’s future.
