Army threatens Headman to agree to illegal Bengali settlement

The second-in-command of Mahalchari Army zone, Major Gaffar yesterday,8 December 2007, threatened Niroti Chakma, headman of Ugudochari Mouzaunder Khagrachari district, to agree to new illegal Bengali settlementin his area.

The Major called Niroti Chakma and Biswajit Chakma, chairman ofKiang-ghat Union under Mahalchari Thana, to the zone headquarters andasked them to agree to the army plan to settle more Bengali people inUgudochari. He sought to coerce them into agreeing the plan and said:"I can put you in a dungeon any time. So do as you are told. You mustlook into the matter of the Bengalis".

Niroti Chakma told the Army commander that when it came to thesettlement of the Bengali people he was helpless because they did notpossess any valid land documents. He also reminded him that all thelands the settlers want to settle on belong to the Jumma people.

Fresh attempt
One of our sources in Maischari said the illegal settlers made anotherattempt today to capture Jumma villagers' land Ugudochari. Thesettlers went to an area near Aryopur Kuthir to cut jungle forconstruction of houses. No further details are available.

Press conference in DhakaVictims of recent land grabbing in Mahalchari are holding a pressconference at Reporters Unity offices in Dhaka to highlight theirproblem. The press conference is underway at the moment.

Source by- Hill Watch Human Rights Forum, contact: hwhrf_99@yahoo.com orhwhrf.cht@gmail.com