Land Dispute Between Indigenous People, Bangalees

Tension mounts in Mahalchari

Source from-http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=20077

Axed trees at Maidhya Karallachhari following a land dispute between indigenous people and Bangalees. Photo: STAR
Tension is mounting in remote Maiddha Karalachhari area in Keyanghat union in Mohalchhari upazila between Bangalee and ethnic communities over land dispute.

Khagrachhari district administration imposed Section 145 there on January 4 and ordered status quo in the area as indigenous people allegedly felled scores of trees and tried to grab lands claimed by Bangalees, locals told this correspondent during a visit.

The indigenous people claimed the lands in the name of a prayer house, the sources said.

Officials from the district administration led by Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Monindra Kishore Majumder, Mohalchhari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Abul Hossain and teams from zonal army camp and police visited the area and asked locals to maintain status quo.

Khagrachhari Hill District Council (KHDC) Chairman Monindra Lal Tripura who visited the area said he would sit with leaders of Bangalee and ethnic communities and called upon locals to maintain peace.

The Daily Star correspondent visited the area Saturday evening.

Abdul Ali, 50, a Bangali, said indigenous people axed trees on his land given to him by the then government in 1881. He said he is among 384 Bangalee families who got lands in the area.

Bisuddha Sar Sramon, chief of Saranath Sadhona Bihar (a monastery for which indigenous people are allegedly trying to grab lands) alleged that tension cropped up as some Bangalee people wanted to grab their lands.

Asked whether there was any land document in favour of the monastery, Sramon said it is their 'traditional right'.

Jabanika Chakma of the Sadhona Bihar said the land for the monastery was donated by Judda Bikash Chakma, Shanti Chakma, Kartik Chakma, Nabodhip Chakma, Sadish Chakma and she herself, Jabanika Chakma claimed.

But she failed to show journalists any land document.

Bisshaji Chakma, Chairman of Keyangghat Union Parishad, said government settled 384 Bangalee families in the area in 1980-1981 and gave them lands along with documents. The lands were earlier given to indigenous people in 1964, he said.

Officer-in-charge of Mohalchhari police station Mohammad Alamghir said, a police team has been deployed there to avoid any untoward incident.

Mohalchhari UNO Abul Hossen also said Bengalee people showed their land documents during his visit.