Buddhist monks protest move to acquire 25 acres of land for establishment of BGB camp in Bandarban
On 4 May 2014, the local Buddhist community of Ramjadi temple area in Bandarban staged a human chain and protested against alleged land grabbing of Buddhist temple in Tarasa mouza under Rowangchari upazila in Bandarban district by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). The land, which has been selected for establishing BGB Sector headquarters in Bandarban, is originally owned by local indigenous peoples and Ramjadi Buddhist Temple. The monks of Ramjadi Buddhist Temple and local community have urged the government not to allocate the land to the BGB as several historical structures including Ramjadi temple, meditation centre etc. are situated in that area.
The speakers at the human chain said that Buddhist devotees would be unhappy if the plan of BGB to acquire the land is implemented. The human chain lasted for an hour in front of Bandarban press club. Chairman of Tarasa union Shoithowai Ching, Chingsha Prue, Bacha Mong, among others, delivered speeches at the human chain and demanded to stop acquisition of this land and to move BGB headquarter to another place immediately. At the end of the human chain they submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner of Bandarban district K M Tarikul Islam in favour of their demand. The indigenous people also brought out a procession in the town.
BGB Bandarban office claimed that the acquisition of land is under process to build BGB Sector Headquarters in the mouza as no people reside in that selected area.
