Lt. Tanvir conducts house searches, tortures one in Belaichari

chtnews.com
News No. 107/2008, June 16, 2008

There have been further reports of torture and house searches from Belaichari Upazilla of Rangmati district.

Sources said on 12 June at around 11 a.m. a group of army personnel led by Lt. Tanvir from Dhupchari camp raided the village of Down and conducted searches into seven houses of the Jummas.

The soldiers broke into the houses of two brothers - Bishwa Sagor Tonchongya (36) and Priti Moy Tonchongya (30) - before searching. Their father's name is Roma Kanta Headman. The doors of the houses were latched as all their family members were away to their jum fields.

The soldiers beat up Nanda Moy Tonchongya aged 45 s/o Badhu Chandra Tonchongya and searched his house. He ran away from army custody on way to the camp.

Other houses searched belonged to Indrajit Chakma aged 45 (he is head teacher of Dujuripara Government Primary School) and his brother Rupayon Chakma (25) s/o Jonmajoy Chakma, Jotonphu Tonchongya aged 35 s/o Rai Charan Tonchongya and Allyabo Tonchongya aged 50 s/o Rotia Tonchongya.

Lt. Tanvir has unleashed a reign of terror on the villagers. As reported in news No. 105, in the first week of this month he tortured as many as 10 innocent Jummas in the area. Some of them were stripped naked to the full view of the people.

Villagers allege that Lt. Tanvir is often seen prowling in the neighbourhood dressed in Lungi (tradition Bengali lower garment), defying army rule that soldiers must put on camouflage combat fatigues while on duty out of camps.