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Government bans assemblies in Rangamati and Khagrachhari, with stringent surveillance and patrols by law-enforcing agencies to quell deadly violence
Published : 21 Sep 2024, 06:55 AM
Violent rioting between 'hills people and Bengali settlers' triggered attacks, looting, and arson and left four people dead in Rangamati town and Dighinala Upazila of Khagrachhari, prompting the administration and security forces to call for restraints to restore peace in the restive hills region.
On Friday, with the imposition of Section 144 banning assembly in in the two hill districts and stringent surveillance and patrols by law enforcement, no protests or gatherings were observed in the afternoon from either side. However, underlying tensions remain.
The interim government has expressed deep regret over the conflicts, violence, and loss of life and directed all forces to show maximum restraint and ensure the security of everyone in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region.
On Saturday, a high-level government delegation led by the Home Advisor Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury will visit the hills region to assess the situation. The team includes Advisor on Chittagong Hill Tracts Supradip Chakma, Local Government Advisor AF Hassan Ariff, and Abdul Hafiz, special assistant to the chief advisor on Defence and National Unity Development.
On Wednesday morning, students of Dighinala Degree College in Khagrachhari organised a protest march for Thursday afternoon in response to a youth named Mamun being killed in a mob beating over theft allegations.
The protest eventually escalated into a clash. Later, one side set fire to shops at Larma Square, causing extensive damage, according to the affected shop owners.
The incidents in Dighinala led to a night-long shooting in Khagrachhari district headquarters on Thursday night, creating panic across the district.
The injured were taken to the Khagrachhari Modern District Hospital, where three individuals died while under treatment.
The deceased have been identified as Dhananjay Chakma, 50, Rubel Tripura, 25, and Junan Chakma, 20.
In protest at the violence and deaths in Khagrachhari, thousands of hill people marched from the Gymnasium Square in Rangamati town in the morning.
FEWER PEOPLE MOVING ABOUT
Affected business owners gathered at Larma Square in Dighinala, Khagrachhari on Friday afternoon. Many were checking their goods in the burnt shops, attempting to salvage whatever remained after the fire.
Locals said while Larma Square is usually bustling with buyers and sellers, the atmosphere has changed since Thursday's incident. By Friday evening, very few people were seen in the Larma Square area.
Apart from the shopkeepers of the burnt shops, hardly anyone else was there. Some of the fires in the shops had not been completely extinguished.
Although some shops in the adjacent Boalkhali market were open, most were closed. Panic was evident on the faces of the people, and the atmosphere was somewhat tense.
Along the road from Khagrachhari town to Dighinala, most of the shops in areas including Eight Mile and Nine Mile were seen closed, despite these locations being at least 15 to 20 kilometres away from Dighinala. Still, the impact was noticeable.
However, on Friday morning, officials from the district administration visited the Larma Square area to keep the situation under control. Security was heightened, and patrols by police and the army were intensified. A significant presence of law enforcement was observed throughout Larma Square.
LARMA SQUARE BURNING
In Dighinala, businessman Mintu Chakma recently took a loan of Tk 50,000 from a private organisation to expand his tea shop at Larma Square. On Thursday morning, he had stocked up Tk 14,000 worth of goods, but they didn’t stay in his shop for long as looting occurred.
He was helpless as he watched his goods being stolen right in front of his eyes. Rather, Mintu was busy saving his own life since the looters later set fire to his shop. Smoke was still seen rising from the shop on Friday.
Army makes ‘special request’ for calm amid riot concerns in hill areas
Describing Thursday's incident on Friday afternoon, Mintu Chakma said: "Yesterday, while I was making tea, a group of young people first started throwing bricks at my shop. Then one of them kicked, and before I knew it, I couldn't even secure the money in the cash box.
"They stormed into the shop and took cigarettes, cola, and other beverages from the fridge. I had just bought Tk 14,000 worth of goods for the shop yesterday; they took everything. Later, they set it on fire and started throwing bricks at me."
Now penniless, Mintu is burdened with the debt. He said, "I had taken a loan of Tk 50,000. How am I supposed to pay it back now?"
A similar fate befell the owner of 'Bismillah Seed Store', a young businessman Akhtar Hossain, who had established his shop with a bank loan of Tk 1.4 million.
A helpless Akhtar said, "They set fire right before my eyes. Everything burned down, and they looted what was left."
‘I COULDN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS HAPPENING'
Nipu Dewan, president of Larma Square Market Association and a rice merchant, said: "In the suddenness of yesterday's events, they set fire to my shop before I could grasp what was happening. I am a TCB dealer. All my rice and goods were burned to ashes."
The business leader bemoaned significant losses. "102 shops here have been reduced to ashes. Someone hit me in the head with a brick."
Traders said 102 shops in Larma Square were set on fire, including 78 owned by hills people and 24 by Bengalis, and four shops were vandalised.
Businessman Shahid said, "A man named Jahangir, who rented my shop, was doing business there. His shop’s broiler chickens, fish, and eggs were all stolen. He barely escaped with his life."
He added that there were many people around during the attack.
Montu Chakma, president of the Rent-a-Motorcycle Drivers Association, said: "Six of our association's bikes were burned in the fire."
CALL FOR CALM
Deputy Commissioner Md Shahiduzzaman, Khagrachhari Superintendent of Police Md Arefin Jewel, and Army Commander of Dighinala Zone Lieutenant Colonel Omar Faruk spoke with affected traders and local representatives at Larma Square. They also inspected the damaged shops.
Calling for calm, district administrator Shahiduzzaman said, “I urge both hill people and Bengalis to stay united to prevent a recurrence of such incidents. At least 102 shops were burned in yesterday's fire. The district administration will assist the affected. The Upazila Nirbahi Officer has been tasked with preparing a list of the affected.”
“It is initially estimated that the damages amount to several million takas. Police, Border Guard Bangladesh, and the army are working to control the situation.”
Lieutenant Colonel Faruk said, “The Bangladesh Army has kept the situation in Dighinala under control. Since last night until [Friday], the situation has been normal and calm. Security has been beefed up by the BGB, police, and army.”
MONASTERY, MOSQUE NOT SPARED IN RANGAMATI
Naindasara Bhante was feeling very upset. On Friday morning, all the monks from the Bihar went out for religious duties to various places, leaving behind two teenagers. They never imagined what would happen that day. This is what he was saying on Friday night.
As he described the afternoon's vandalism, the religious leader of the historic Maitri Bihar, or monastery, in Rangamati trembled with emotion. He showed the complete destruction of the monastery and the damage caused by the rampage.
Bhante said, “They were around 50 to 60 people. One person climbed over the wall, broke the lock, and opened the main gate. Then everyone else rushed in and wreaked havoc. They smashed everything, from flower pots to the Bihar’s plates, chairs, tables, and fans.”
“They took two out of seven donation boxes, and broke the remaining five to take the money,” he continued. “All the glass doors and windows, and the railings at the entrance were destroyed. The students' hostel was also completely wrecked.”
With emotion choking his voice, Bhante said, “This is a religious institution. We don’t engage in politics. We don’t meddle in anyone's personal matters. So why has this institution been subjected to such a horrific attack? We have built this place with so much effort. I don’t understand why this happened.”
On a visit to the monastery, extensive damage was evident. The light from the municipality’s lamp post next to the main gate had also been broken. About 70 percent of the items on the ground floor were not intact.
Broken chairs, plates, and utensils lay scattered on the floor. The statue of Gautama Buddha in the prayer room also showed signs of damage.
Yet, Bhante said: “I hold no anger, resentment, or bitterness towards anyone.”
In the heart of Rangamati town stands the magnificent Banorupa Mosque. To make sure its unique beauty captivates the passersby, temporary shops in front of it were removed a few months ago, allowing the mosque's full form to be visible.
On Friday noon, ahead of the Jumma prayers, the muezzin and devotees began to arrive gradually. Inside the mosque, the muezzin was busy with cleaning. Suddenly, from a procession, a barrage of bricks and stones was hurled, causing the large glass frames of the mosque to shatter one after another.
Everyone thought the attack would be limited to the mosque's two markets, BM-1 and BM-2. However, in addition to the destruction of the shops on the ground floor of the markets, vandalism was also committed against the mosque itself.
Ayub Chowdhury, the general secretary of the Banorupa Jame Mosque Management Committee, said: “Many political parties have held processions in front of the mosque, but such an incident has never occurred before. They probably did this intentionally to provoke and complicate the situation. But the mosque is the house of Allah and such dirty politics has set a terrible example.”
MORE PLACES UNDER ATTACK
Like the two religious institutions, the Russell Store at Happir intersection in the town also bears the scars of destruction.
The store, famous for various religious items, has been completely burned down. Several other nearby shops were left standing, marked by the remnants of devastation on Friday evening.
The Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council, the most significant institution in the hills since the signing of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord in 1997, is located here, where Jyotirindra Bodhipriya aka Shantu Larma has his office.
The office was closed on Friday. Directly below the closed office, at least seven parked vehicles in the garage and outside were reduced to ashes. The walls showed signs of attacks on the glass. The cars stood like skeletons, bearing witness to the brutality.
‘I HOPE NOTHING MORE WILL OPEN”
To get a grip on the situation, the district administration imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code banning all types of meetings, rallies, processions and gatherings in the town.
As a result, no processions emerged from any mosque after Jumma prayers and further disturbances were averted. Following a day of intense heat, the town experienced a refreshing rain in the afternoon.
Rangamati Deputy Commissioner Md Mosharraf Hossain Khan said, “Everything happened suddenly. We ensured that no processions would emerge from the mosques, and we imposed Section 144 starting at 1pm.
“After that, the situation began to stabilise. I hope nothing more will happen. [On Saturday], a few advisors will come to Rangamati. I urge everyone to remain calm and cooperate to overcome the situation.”
Rangamati Sadar Circle Additional Superintendent of Police Md Saiful Uddin said, “No one has been arrested yet. Arrests and charges will follow an investigation.”
