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Several others have been injured in the violence in the Dighinala and Sadar Upazilas
Published : 20 Sep 2024, 12:46 PM
Three people have died and several others have been injured amid clashes between Bengalis and ethnic minority groups in Khagrachhari’s Dighinala and Sadar Upazilas.
Ahsan Habib Palash, deputy inspector general of the police’s Chattogram Range, confirmed the incident.
The dead have been identified as Dhananjay Chakma, 50, Rubel Tripura, 25, and Junan Chakma, 20.
Dhananjay was injured in Dighinala, and Rubel and Junan in the Sadar Upazila, the police official said.
“They were then rushed to the Khagrachhari Modern Sadar Hospital.”
“There, Dhananjay died while receiving treatment at 10:30pm on Thursday, while Rubel and Junan died around 1:30am.”
Khagrachhari Deputy Commissioner Md Shahiduzzaman says that Section 144 has been imposed in the Khagrachhari municipal town and the district’s Sadar area from 2pm on Friday to bring a halt to the violence.
“The district administration has taken the step to stop all kinds of violence,” he said.
A fire started at a local market in Khagrachhari’s Dighinala on Thursday during a clash between ‘ethnic minority groups and Bengalis’.
“There was unrest between the hill ethnic minorities and Bengalis,” said Arefin Jewel, the superintendent of police for the district. “The clashes started there on Thursday. There were chases and counter-chases between the two sides and stores were torched.”
Locals say that students from Dighinala Degree College launched a protest march on Thursday afternoon after a man called Mamun was killed in a ‘mass beating’ over suspicions of theft on Wednesday morning.
A clash began at one point during the protest march. Then, one side set fire to stores in Larma Square. The victims of the fire say that 60 to 70 stores were burnt down by the blaze.
After the incident, locals say the sounds of gunfire could be heard through the night. This created panic among residents in the Sadar area and other parts of the district.
The sounds of heavy gunfire were heard around 10:30pm on Thursday night in the district town’s Narankkhaiya and Shanirbhar areas. The gunfire could be heard intermittently until very late.
Khagrachhari Sadar Hospital Resident Medical Officer Ripal Bappi Chakma said:
“At least nine people with injuries were brought to the hospital. Most of them came in from the Sadar Upazila in the night. Three of them have died.”
“Four others in critical condition have been sent to Chittagong Medical College for treatment. One of them is a Bengali.”
The bodies of the three people killed are at the Sadar Hospital morgue. The cause of their deaths would be determined after autopsies, the RMO said.
Meanwhile, law enforcers have inspected the scene after the clash between the two sides in Khagrachhari.
The deputy commissioner, superintendent of police, and Dighinala zone commander went to the Larma Square market area on Friday morning to inspect the damaged stores and businesses and to speak with local representatives.
Deputy Commissioner Md Shahiduzzaman called on everyone to remain calm.
“I urge hill tribe people and Bengalis to remain united so that such an incident does not happen again.”
At least 102 stores were burnt down completely in Thursday’s fire, he said. Initially, the damage was estimated at tens of millions of taka. A list of the victims will be compiled and the district administration will provide them with support, he said.
The police, BGB, and the army are working to control the situation in the district.
Lt Col Omar Faruk, of the army’s Dighinala Zone, said: “The Bangladesh Army is keeping the situation under control. Things have remained normal and peaceful from last night until now. Additional security is being provided by the BGB, police, and the army.”
