Date: Sept 11,2026
By Noor Salma 
A storyteller 

Emtiaz Akter is 46 years old and is from Shitdafara village in Myanmar. She is the wife of Mohammed Rejuan. She lived with her family of four in their village before violence and insecurity forced them to leave their home.

On 5 August 2024, at around 3:00 PM, Emtiaz and her family returned home. Later that day, they went to the beach. It was an ordinary moment for the family, but they did not know that their lives were about to change.

While they were at the beach, the Arakan Army (AA) dropped a bomb. The bomb struck Emtiaz’s foot. She was seriously injured, and the pain was so severe that she could no longer walk. In the middle of the violence, she was suddenly injured and had to think about escaping with her family.

After the bombing, Emtiaz and her family stayed at Senafati Beach for one day. Emtiaz was unable to walk because of her injured foot. She had to depend on others for help. But staying there was not a safe option, so the family had to continue their journey despite her condition.

They first travelled to Foyajifara, where they stayed for one day. From there, they moved to Oukilfara village and stayed there for three days. Emtiaz was still suffering from her injured foot, but the family could not settle there permanently.

After Oukilfara, they continued to Panpiliyaouju Kunafara village. From there, they moved again to Hairfara village. The family kept moving from one place to another because they were searching for safety.

Their journey then took them to Fayranfuru village. Later, they returned to Fayranfuru again. Each time they moved, they had to leave behind another temporary place and continue into another uncertain situation.

For Emtiaz, the journey was especially difficult. Her foot had been injured by the bombing, and she could not walk properly. Even so, she had no choice but to continue with her family. She had been wounded, but there was no time to stop and recover.

The family did not know where they would stay next or how long they could remain in any one place. They were simply trying to find somewhere safe. Behind them was their home in Shitdafara, while ahead of them was an uncertain journey.

For several days, Emtiaz travelled with her family through different villages. She was carrying the pain of her injury while also facing the fear and uncertainty of displacement. Every move took them farther away from the home and community they had known.

Finally, on 12 August 2024, after days of movement and hardship, Emtiaz and her family arrived in Bangladesh. Their journey had taken them through several places before they finally reached a country where they hoped to be safe.

Emtiaz’s journey is more than a journey from one village to another. It is the story of a woman who was injured by a bomb, could no longer walk properly, and was still forced to leave her home and continue moving with her family.

She did not leave Shitdafara because she wanted to leave her home. She left because violence and insecurity gave her family no safe choice.

She was wounded. She could not walk. But she still had to keep moving.