Dhaka, Mar 1 (bdnews24.com)—A new commanding officer took over Baghaihat army zone on Monday, 10 days after army action was questioned during clashes in the remote area of Rangamati hill district.
Army officials in the hill district and the capital told bdnews24.com that Lt Col Mohsin Alam joined as the zone's new commander, replacing Lt Col Wasimul Haque. Haque was shifted to adjoining Ruma, they said.
Authorities on Monday lifted a nine-day Section 144 clampdown, imposed in the wake of bloody clashes between Bangali settlers and hill people, on Baghaihat and Baghaichhari upazila headquarters.
Baghaichhari upazila nirbahi officer Bashir-ul Haq Bhuiyan told bdnews24.com that the clampdown was withdrawn at 10am following a decision made at an emergency meeting held with upazila chairman Sudarshan Chakma in the chair.
Administrative officials and leaders of the indigenous and Bangali settler communities attended the meeting.
Two bullet-ridden bodies were recovered following army intervention in clashes at Baghaihat between indigenous and settler communities. Tribal leaders claimed at least six indigenous villagers were killed as the army opened fire on them during the clashes.
Indigenous people of Sajek union in Baghaichhari blamed army personnel and Bengali settlers for the Feb 19-20 incidents. They demanded exemplary punishment for the perpetrators.
They also demanded withdrawal of army camp from Baghaihat at Sajek, relocation of settlers from Sajek, Tk 20 lakh (2 million) compensation to every affected family.
"Feb 19 incident was a planned one. Army personnel first opened fire at Guccha Gram and Noapara to scare us and then settlers torched and looted the houses," Gyanendu Chakma, convener of Sajek Land Protection Committee, said in a press release on Monday.
He said military personnel from Baghaihat army zone gathered the settlers the following day through loudspeakers and asked the hill people to leave the villages before launching a fresh attack.
Bengali settlers, however, have claimed that the 'tribal terrorists' first opened fire at army personnel sparking the violence.
Two persons — Budhopati Chakma (31) and Lakshmi Bijoy Chakma — were killed and scores injured in the Feb 20 incident. A Bengali — Anwar Hossain (28) — was also killed in in similar tribal-settler clashes on Feb 23 in neighbouring Khagrachhari hill district.
State minister for CHT affairs Dipankar Talukder has assured the local indigenous people that a probe into the violent clashes would be held.
bdnews24.com/corr/lh/rn/ta/2104h
