Settlers raid Jumma village in Ramgarh

chtnews.com
News No. 158/2009, October 20, 2009

The settlers had taken hostage 5 Jumma villagers after a raid into the village of Goiapara under Patachara Union of Ramgarh Upazila in Khagrachari district, sources from Khagrachari said.

Over one hundred settlers led by Latu Master (50), Oli Ahmed (50) and Nur Mohammad (45) from Ratnapur and Mohammadpur villages under Dantmara Union in Fatikchari took part in the attack that was taken place today, 20 October, about 9:30am.

Armed with sharp weapons, the marauding settlers used jeeps during the attack.

They beat up Mon Kumar Chakma (50) s/o late Shyama Charan Chakma and his daughter Sonabo Chakma (25) and took away five villagers including these two.

The attack was carried out without slightest provocation, and the Jummas were not prepared for it.

The motive of the attack could not be known. However, the settlers alleged that “the Jummas were involved in theft and robbery in their villages.”

Talking to the chtnews.com one Jumma villager vehemently denied the allegation and said it was the members of the army-sponsored CHTNF (Chittagong Hill Tracts National Forum) terrorists who committed these crimes.

“These terrorists are patronized by the army, and to be precise, by Laxmichari zone commander Lt. Col. Shariful Islam.” he said.

The other villagers taken away by the settlers have been identified as Guri Morotto Chakma (25) s/o Thandra Ram Chakma, Juddha Kumar Chakma (22) s/o Chikon Chan Karbari and Milon Dhan Chakma (22).

However, all of them were released after Dev Danta Tripura, Organiser of UPDF’s Ramgarh Unit, contacted the settler leaders including Dant Mara UP Chairman Md. Habib and proved their innocence.

Sources said the so-called CHTNF terrorists, comprised of both Jumma and Bengali youths, had been committing crimes in the area with direct support from the army.

The CHTNF was created by the army to create unrest in the CHT to frustrate the decision of the Awami League government to withdraw troops from CHT. They were given Light Guns (LG) and ordered to kidnap people indiscriminately, especially Bengali businessmen in Bandarban.

This terror outfit came into the media spotlight when its members kidnapped a number of Bengali businessmen in Bandarban.

Many joined the CHTNF in the hope that they would be able to earn quick bulks, but when they found the risk involved they left.

Some of them told chtnews.com that “the one thing the army asks us is to kidnap people and exact ransom from them.”

Now that their aim has been achieved, they army have turned their attention away from the CHTNF, and in Bandarban they have arrested four of its members along with the arms they had given them.