Sajek settler attack: PCP holds protest rally on DU campus

chtnews.com
News No. 67/2008, April 21, 2008

THE Hill Students Council, a front organisation of the United People's Democratic Front, brought out a procession and held a rally on Dhaka University campus today in protest against a joint army-settler attack on 4 Jumma villages in Sajek.

The procession started at 5 p.m. from DUS Chattor and paraded round the Arts faculty of Dhaka University demanding punishment to those responsible for the attack that left at least 60 Jumma houses burnt, an unspecified number of Jumma women raped and many wounded.

Later, they held a rally at DU Library ground. Presided over by Aungyo Marma, General Secretary of the Hill Student's Council, the meeting was addressed by Sumen Chakma and Gyana Dutta Chakma.

Besides, representatives from progressive students' organisations also addressed the rally expressing solidarity with the cause of the Jumma people. They are Sajeeb from Sangskritir Naya Setu, Ms Shubra Chakraborti from Prapada, Shiplu from Biplobi Chattra Jubo Andolon and Faisal Ahmed from Bangladesh Chattra Union.

The speakers condemned the attack and urged the government to take measures to bring the culprits to justice.

They said the attack was orchestrated by certain members of the Bangladesh Army to evict the Jummas from their hearts and homes and then grab all of their lands. They urged the interim caretaker government of Dr. Fakruddin Ahmed to immediately stop land grabbing in CHT and return the grabbed lands to the rightful owners.

They said so much injustice has been done to the Jummas and for so many years they have been denied their due rights.

"There can be no peace in the CHT hills, until the laws and customs governing Jumma people's land management system are recognised and respected" said Aungyo Marma.

He urged the government to rehabilitate and pay compensation to the victims.

"The attack is colossal"
Meanwhile, sources in Khagrachari, quoting local journalists who had visited the spot along with others, said all the houses and in fact everything lying within an area of about 4 km stretching from Baghaihat to Gangaram have been burnt to ashes. He put number of houses destroyed at 500.

"What I saw is awesome. It is truly a senseless act, a colossal attack that should not have happened", one of the journalists has been quoted as saying.

Local journalists and correspondents who accompanied the District Council chairman Manindra Lal Tripura during his visit to the place of occurrence today included Azim, Sukumar and Al Farooq.