Update on case of Gulshakhali-Bogachatar communal attack: CID submit investigation report to the court
After investigation for one year, On 26 August 2014, Md. Enamul Haque Khan, CID police inspector of Rangamati district, submitted its investigation report on Gulshakhali-Bogachatar communal attack to the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Rangamati district. In its investigation, CID found 13 persons involved with this attack, and recommended acquittal for five alleged persons who were not involvement with this crime.
On the same day, 26 August 2014, Milan Chakma accepted the report. In the investigation report, among the alleged persons mentioned in the deposition of the case lodged by Milan Chakma, following 13 persons were proved to be involved with this incident:
- Rafique Uddin member, son of late Ahmad Khalek, Rahmatpur;
- Md. Kamal Hossain, son of late Adam Ali, Rangipara;
- Md. Solayoman, son of Md. Samsuddin, Thekapara;
- Mohan Mian, son of late Edan Lian. Rangipara;
- Md. Kamal, son of late Samshul Haque, Thekapara;
- Jasim Uddin, son of Ahmad Malek, Rangipara;
- Mr. Marfat Ali, son of Atab Uddin, Mohammadpur;
- Md. Ramzan Ali, son of late Nabi Hossain, Rahmatpur;
- Md. Liyakat Ali, son of late Saheb Ali, Rangipara;
- Abu Taher, son of late Noor Mohammad, Rangipara;
- Md. Noor Hossain, son of Abu Taher, Rangipara;
- Md. Salauddin, son of late Nurul Islam Soudagor, Thekapara;
- Md. Abdul Wadud, son of Mohan Mian Jamidar, Rangipara.
The CID police inspector of Rangamati district urged the Chief Judicial Magistrate to issue warrant order against above-mentioned persons for arrest and accordingly the court issued warrant order against them. However, arrest of any accused person is yet to be made so far.
It is mentionable that as the court ordered for inquiry, CID started working on the case earlier this year. On 20 March 2013, CID took statements of the complainant and other 6 witnesses about the Gulshakhali-Bogachatar communal attack. The statements of the complainant and witnesses were taken by police inspector of CID office, Md. Enamul Hoque Khan, at Chiitagong office, which is situated about 90 km away from complainant’s residence. Earlier, on 3 March 2014, Md. Enamul Hoque Khan issued a notice to the complainant and witnesses to be present at CID office in Chittagong for their statement. Accordingly, Milan Chakma, along with six witnesses, went to the Chittagong CID office. Md. Enamul Hoque Khan took statement from the complainant and each of the witnesses separately for 4 hours. The police inspector wanted to know from complainant and witnesses about how the incident had happened, whose houses were burnt, who conducted the attack, names of the attackers, etc.
It is also mentionable that on 16 February 2011, police and BGB recovered the dead body of Saber Ali from Rangi Para area who was suffering from epilepsy. Following the incident, Bengali settlers intentionally started to accuse local indigenous Jumma people for the death of Md. Saber, and eventually to spread communal tension against Indigenous peoples. Consequently, on 17 February 2011 at around 5.30 pm, Bengali settlers numbering 200-250 from settler inhabited areas of Gulshakhali union under Longadu upazila of Rangamati district, allegedly in collaboration with Border Guard of Bangladesh (BGB, formerly Bangladesh Riffles- BDR) made a massive communal attack on Jumma villages of Gulshakhali and Rangi Para areas. At least 23 houses of Jumma villagers including one BRAC school and 3 tobacco ovens were reportedly burnt to ashes in the attack while two Jumma students were seriously injured in another attack made at Tintilya Launchghat in Longadu at noon. Huge valuables were looted by Bengali settlers before setting fire on the houses. The names of the villages affected in this incident are Ranjit Para, Rangi Para and Shanti Nagar under Gulshakhai Union and Bogachatar Union in Langadu Upazila.
Following the incident, Mr. Milan Chakma filed a case with Longadu police station on behalf of the victim Jumma villagers on 28 February 2011 accusing Md. Jasim Uddin, the mastermind of the incident, and 17 other Bengali settlers.
After inquiry, police submitted ‘Final Report’ twice before the court on 6 March 2012 and on 29 January 2013. In both reports, police stated that the commitment of the communal incident had been found to be true, but involvement of any person of the 18 accused, specifically identified in the written complaint, or any other person had not been found to be true. In that circumstance, rejecting the Final Report of the police and filing a disagreement petition, Milan Chakma, appealed to the court for CID inquiry of the incident of the case twice. Eventually, hearing the petition of the complainant in last time on 21 August 2013, Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Tahmina Afroz Chowdhury ordered for CID inquiry of the incident of the case.
