Settlers prevent Jummas from cutting jungle in Sajek

chtnews.com
News No. 181/2009, November 10, 2009

The illegal settlers have been preventing the Jummas from clearing jungles for construction of houses on their own lands in Gangaram Doar in Sajek in Rangamati district.

Sources say groups of settlers led by Md. Akhtar and Md. Shamshu have been preventing the Jummas from building houses since 3 November.

On 4 November, Warrant Officer Rezaul from Baghaichari army zone told the local village elders that “No one, neither Paharis nor Bengalis, is permitted to cut jungles in the ‘disputed lands’ in Gangaram Dor until the disputes are settled.”

However, on 8 November, the illegal settlers cleared jungles in the so-called “disputed” area, but the army took no action against them.

On the contrary, the Jumma villagers suspect that the army might have instigated the settlers to do so.

Sajek has been one of the flashpoints in the CHT in the recent times. Nearly one hundred Jumma houses were burnt down on 20 April in 2008. During the two years’ emergency rule there had been continuous reports of land grabbing and settler violence from the area.

The army was directly responsible for these violence and illegal land grabbing.