News
No.20/2016: Saturday, March 12, 2016
THE
army on Thursday, March 10, attempted to foil a Buddhist religious ceremony by
arresting a participant and volunteer to the event in Panchari, Khagrachari.
However,
hundreds of people gathered for the event resisted the army attempt and the
army were forced to release him in the end.
According
to sources, Buddhist devotees on Thursday organized Garitana in
honour of Rev. Ananda Pala Mahathero, abbot of Amara Kanon Buddhist temple in
Nalkata, who died on February 2.
(Garitana
is an event undertaken in honour of a deceased person who performed meritorious
deeds and commanded respect among people while he/she was alive. During the
event a Gari or chariot is made with wood and bamboo and then the participants
pull it from two opposite directions)
Thousands
of devotees, men and women, took part in the event.
At
4 pm, a group of army personnel from Panchari zone went to the venue of the
event and tried to arrest Sushomoy Chakma, who was working as a volunteer
there.
The
Buddhist devotees resisted the army, forcing them to leave him, sources added.
However,
the soldiers snatched away his mobile phone and his money bag along with Taka
9,435.
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