Bangladeshi man killed in Myanmar landmine blast, police say

A Bangladeshi man has been killed in a landmine explosion across Myanmar border at Naikkhyangchharhi in Bandarban, police have said.

Myanmar security forces have reportedly mined its border along Bangladesh to stop the fleeing Rohingyas to go back to their homes from refugee camps in Bangladesh.

Naikkhyangchharhi Police Station OC SM Touhid Kabir told bdnews24.com on Wednesday that Hashem Ullah, 40, from Adarsha village in the hilly district came to Chakdhala Charar Math area near the border to distribute relief among Rohingya refugees on Tuesday.

After distributing the relief material, Hashem was roaming around in the area and at one stage crossed the border, the OC said.    

He died after stepping on a landmine on the Myanmar side of the border at night, the police officer said.

A Myanmar national, identified as Abdul Kader, was also injured in the blast, OC Kabir said.

Border Guard Bangladesh personnel rescued Kader and sent him to Chittagong Medical College Hospital, he said.

The OC added that a Rohingya refugee, Moktar Ahmed, 45, died in a similar blast on his way to Bangladesh from Buthidaung village of Rakhine State on Monday night.

The number of Rohingyas fleeing an army crackdown against the ethnic minority in response to attacks on security forces has crossed 370,000.

Many of them died in landmine blasts while crossing the border into Bangladesh.

The government and Amnesty International have blamed Myanmar Army for planting the landmines, a claim the Myanmar authorities have denied and passed the responsibilities to Rohingya insurgents.