Bengali settlers attack on indigenous villagers in connection to land grabbing in Lama
Bengali settlers attack on indigenous villagers in connection to land grabbing in Lama
On 13 April 2013, a communal attack was made by Bengali settlers on Marma indigenous community in Choto Nonar Bill area of Lama upazila in Bandarban district. Total 14 people have been injured, and 2 indigenous villagers were arrested by military from that area. It is known that Thuinumong Marma wanted to make a boundary wall on his father’s land. But a group of miscreants of Md Abdul Ohab and Abul Khayer forbade to Thuinumong not to build a boundary wall.
In this connection, Thuinumong filed a case against perpetrators on that day. The case file number is 501, dated 13/04/2013. After filing a case when he went to his land, he saw the miscreants already broke the wall. When he went to protest along with community people, the Bengali settlers attacked on them. At least 14 people of both groups including Thuimong Marma (29) s/o Tujathoi Marma and Nepa Marma (27) s/o Kejsing Marma were injured. The settlers again complaint at the Champatoli army camp under Lama zone, and then on that day at 3:30 pm, a group of army led by Major Kamrul of 30 Bengal came to Nonar bill area, and arrested to Thuimong Marma and Nepa Marma. The solders took them at the camp, and released after a night to local representatives of that area.
It is known that, Abdul Ohab was originally from plain district Noakhali. He came to Bandarban with his job of WAPDA. He bought land illegally breaking the provisions of Hill District Council Act of 1989. According to the buying land and real property Thuinumong’s father is the land owner, but Abdul Ohab has been demanding illegally that land. A case was filed in connection with this incident.
Seven Jumma villagers tortured by army of Sindukchari camp in Ramgarh
On 26 April 2013 at around 10:00 pm, seven indigenous Tripura villagers were beaten brutally by a group of army led by Major Raqib of Sindukchari camp at Boishnob Para of Boro Pilak area of Halfchari union under Rangarh upazila in Khagrachari district. They were released on that night with serious injuries of beating. It is learnt that, the settlers grabbed indigenous lands, and planted a mango garden together with some settler families in that area. On 20 April 2013, UPDF activists damaged the mango garden by cutting 218 mango tress of owner Md. Abdur Rob (45). After few days, on 26 April 2013 at around 10 pm, some unknown group of miscreants set a fire in a small hut of Siddiqur Rahaman. The settlers began shouting and screaming when they saw the fire. After few minutes, a group of army personnel from Sindukchari camp rushed at the indigenous village Boishnob Para at the spot. The soldiers tortured brutally to the following indigenous guys.
The army soldiers wanted to prove that the villagers were involved in setting fire at settler village. But the army failed to establish their involvement with the fire incident, and released them on the same night after beating. The Army ordered to the victims to keep silence against their such tortures. The torture victims are Kanti Kishor Tripura (30) son of Binoy Kishor Tripura, Keton Kishor Tripura (28) son of Binoy Kishor Tripura, Ratan Das Tripura (35) son of Dhananjoy Tripura, Ripon Tripura (18) son of Shanti Tripura, Ranjan Tripura (15) son of Kamalanda Tripura, Chitta Das Tripura( 17) son of late Nitananda Das Tripura and Shashi Das Tripura (35).
