Borkha Party chief gunned down in Laxmichari

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News No. 35/2012, Monday, May 21, 2012

Anil Chakma, the ringleader of the military-backed Borkha Party, was shot dead on 19 May by unidentified gunmen at his home in Laxmichari in Khagrachari district, newspaper reports and other sources said.

The incident took place at about 4am when the gunmen stormed his house at Jurgachari in Laxmichari sub-district headquarters. Two other Borkha members – Shanti Ranjan Chakma and Mohendra Chakma – were injured in the daring attack.

Laxmichari zone commander Lt. Col. AKM Sajedul Haq, UNO Khokon Kanti Shaha, Officer-in-charge of Laxmichari police station Qamrul Islam visited the spot after the attack.

The zone commander provided financial assistance to the families of Anil Chakma and the other two injured, according to Purbokone, a Bengali news daily published from Chittagong.

One injured by Santu group in Rajstali

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News No. 34/2012, Monday, May 14, 2012

One person has been reportedly injured in Rajstali under Rangamati district when armed men loyal to Santu Larma struck him with a sharp weapon, sources say.

The victim has been identified as Bikash Tanchangya alias Bihari Kumar, 40, son of late Molindra Tanchangya.

The incident took place in the morning today.

According to an eyewitness, who declined to be named for security reasons, a group of armed men belonging to Santu group raided Mogain Para in Rajstali Upazila and ordered Bikash Tanchangya to catch a chicken belonging to another person.

“When Bikash said he would not catch them because they the chickens were not his, the Santu men chopped him with a dao (a one-edged sharp knife). As a result, he received injuries on the head, and had to be admitted to Rajstali Sadar hospital.” he said.

UPDF leader Choton released on bail in Bandarban

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News No. 33/2012, Monday, May 14, 2012

UPDF leader Choton Kanti Tanchangya and DYF member Jolomoy Tanchangya were released yesterday after Bandarban District Magistrate’s court granted them bail in a case filed by JSS Santu group, UPDF sources said.

Bandarban District Magistrate, Ali Akkash, granted them bail at 12 noon. Advocate Aminur Rashid moved the bail petitions on their behalf.

They had been arrested by police from Balaghata on Thursday following a clash between members of the Hill Students’ Council and Jana Samhati Samiti (Santu group).

Choton Kanti Tanchangya contested in the last parliamentary election held in 2008.

In 2010, Santu group men made an attempt on his life at Balaghata. However, he was saved because the gun his would-be assassin used failed to fire.

Rape of Jumma women: a tool of ethnic cleansing?

Commentary: Issue 03: Saturday: 12 May 2012

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THE rape and murder of Sujata Chakma in Longudu has once again brought the issue of sexual violence against Jumma women to the forefront. The incident sparked protests throughout the CHT, resulting in the arrest of the culprit, Md. Ibrahim. But his arrest is hardly a guarantee that such incidents will not recur in future. There are hundreds of loopholes in the law, and there is a genuine apprehension that he might come out through one of them in a few months, as he did in another rape case in the past.

Historically speaking, before the arrival of the illegal Bengali settlers the word “Dhorshon” [in Bangla] or rape was unknown in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. It does not even occur in the languages of the Jumma people. But now rape has become a common phenomenon, thanks mainly to the Bangladesh Army and the settlers. Incidents of rape have become so commonplace and widespread that Jumma women do not feel safe anywhere – not at home, not at work, not at schools, not even in market places. The Committee for Directing Movement Against Women Repression in Ghilachari in a leaflet published on 14 November 2009 aptly described the situation in the following words:

‘We can’t go to school, we can’t work in the field, we can’t fetch water from rivers and streams, we can’t visit temples and our relatives, we can’t graze our cows in the field, we can’t go to work, and we can’t even stay back homes. They rape us everywhere and anytime. The army and settlers always lie in wait to rape us.’

Two UPDF leaders arrested in Bandarban

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News No. 32/2012, Friday, May 11, 2012

THE police have arrested two local leaders of the United Peoples’ Democratic Front (UPDF) from Balaghata in Bandarban town, sources say.

The arrested UPDF leaders are Choton Kanti Tanchangya (40) son of Shashi Kanti Tanchangya and Jalomoni Tanchangya.

They are being questioned in Bandarban police station, it is learnt.

The former is the chief coordinator of UPDF Banadarban unit and contested in the last parliamentary election held in 2008.

They were arrested at around 7:30pm today from their respective homes in Balaghata, presumably in connection with an incident in which two or three JSS (Santu group) activists were slightly injured when they went to Balaghata to attack PCP and UPDF members yesterday.

Settlers set fire to Jumma house in Panchari

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News No. 31/2012, Friday, May 11, 2012

THE settlers set fire to a house belonging to Kamal Singh Tripura in Paiong Para village under Ugudochari (Ultachari) Union in Panchari Upazila of Khagrachari district, sources said.

The incident happened on Thursday night (May 10, at 9pm). Kamal Singh had built the house on his land a few days ago.

Villagers said two settlers from Rosulpur in Panchari – Md. Manik and Md. Fazlul – have been trying to capture his land for a long time.

They used coercion and intimidation to oust him from his land where he has already created a fruit garden.

A few days ago the settlers destroyed the saplings of various fruit trees he had planed there.

The villagers expressed fear that the settlers might grab his land as a follow-up to the burning down of his house.

Rape and murder of Sujata Chakma: culprit arrested

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News No. 30/2012, May 11, 2012

THE murderer and rapist of Sujata Chakma was arrested by police in Longudu in Rangamati district, sources said.

The police arrested Ibrahim on Thursday morning from Yarengchara under Attarokchara Union.

‘He has confessed to raping and killing the 11-year old girl’, Prothom Alo, a Bengali daily, quoted Rezaul Karim, Officer-in-charge of Longudu Thana (police station), as saying.

Ibrahim was trying to escape from Yarengchara after committing the crime when the local villagers caught him. Later, they handed him over to the police.