An armed syndicate launched a terrifying assault on a residential home in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, leaving a 12-year-old child and his cousin seriously injured after an eye-witness inadvertently spotted a narcotics trafficking operation.
The violence erupted at around 8:00 pm on Wednesday, 21 October, in the Mina Bazar area of Hwaykong Union, targeting the residence of Hafez Zaynal.
According to family members, the ordeal began earlier that evening when Mostaq, a local resident, ventured out to catch fish with a cast net in a canal running alongside the Myanmar border. At around 7:30 pm, he reportedly spotted two brothers—identified as Mannan and Saleh, sons of Yusuf Ali—crossing the border whilst transporting a large consignment of illicit drugs. Terrified by the encounter, Mostaq immediately abandoned his fishing gear and fled back to his home to seek refuge.
Word of Mostaq’s return quickly reached the smuggling syndicate. Within an hour, an armed gang led by Mannan and Saleh forcibly entered Hafez Zaynal’s family compound and opened fire indiscriminately. During the melee, 12-year-old Ahmed Nur sustained a severe gunshot wound to the abdomen, whilst his cousin, Arafat, suffered multiple stab wounds from knife-wielding attackers.
Panicked relatives quickly dialed the national emergency hotline 999. Fearing imminent capture as news of approaching police units spread, the assailants fled the scene under cover of darkness.
Local responders rushed both victims to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital. Given the critical nature of Ahmed Nur’s abdominal injury, doctors administered emergency first aid before immediately transferring him to Chittagong Medical College Hospital for specialised surgical intervention. Arafat remains admitted at Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital, where medical staff continue to monitor his condition.
Inspector Hafiz, in-charge of the Hwaykong Police Outpost, confirmed that law enforcement dispatched units to the site immediately after receiving the emergency alert. Saiful Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Teknaf Model Station, stated that legal proceedings and operations to apprehend those involved are currently underway.
Bordering Myanmar, the Teknaf frontier serves as a notorious transit corridor for illicit drug trafficking into Bangladesh, particularly the smuggling of yaba—a potent mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine—and crystal methamphetamine (ice). The region’s porous riverine borders and difficult terrain frequently facilitate violent clashes between transnational narcotics cartels, law enforcement agencies, and local communities caught in the crossfire.
