chtnews.com
News
No. 54/2012, Sunday, July 22,
2012
THE
government is reportedly plotting to acquire 40 acres of land in Thanchi
Upazila of Bandarban district for setting up a Border Guard Bangladesh
(BGB) camp, various sources have said.
Subedar
Hashem, commander of BGB Thanchi Bazaar camp, discussed the land acquisition
with both Jumma and Bengali people at a meeting held at his camp yesterday,
Saturday.
Lt.
Col. Momen (10 Bengal), commander of BGB Thanci zone,
was also present at the meeting.
The
proposed site for the camp falls in Thanchi Mouza No. 362 under Thanchi Union
No. 3.
“There
are two villages, Forestor Para and Naaijari Para, near Thanchi bus station.
These two villages are populated by 70 Jumma families – 30 Marma families in
Forestor Para and 40 Marma and Tripura families in Naijari Para. They have been
living there for centuries. If the proposed BGB camp is set up at bus station
area, these people will be displaced and thrown out of their livelihood.”
Choton Kanti Tanchangya, a UPDF leader in Bandarban, told chtnews.com.
Besides,
many other Bengali and Jumma families, who have been living near the bus
station, will also be forced out of their lands, he added.
He
said ‘the construction of a BGB camp is just an excuse to grab Jumma people’s
land.’
‘In
the absence of Bengali settlers there, this is the only suitable excuse that
the government can employ to grab our lands’ he said.