News No. 84/2011, April 20, 2011
A group of settlers in Mahalchari caught two Jumma activists and then handed them over to the police yesterday.
According to sources, at about 5pm a group of 100 – 150 settlers from Lemuchari cluster village stormed into the shops at Bodanala and caught two Jummas.
They are Nitu Chakma alias Milon, 20, son of Priti Moy Chakma of village East Kiang-ghat and Mithun Chakma, 25, son of Upendra Chakma of village Hazachara, Kiang-ghat Union.
The former is a member of the United Peoples’ Democratic Front (UPDF) while the latter is an activist of the MN Larma faction of JSS.
The settlers beat them up and then handed them over to the police.
Panic gripped the Jumma villagers when the settlers made the surprise attack.
They began to run helter skelter as the marauding settlers began searching the shops.
The settlers were also reported to have smashed a few of their own shops to provide excuse for launching a communal attack on Jumma villages.
Later, army and police personnel were deployed to the area.
When Sona Ratan Chakma, Chairman of Mahalchari Upazila, contacted the police about the two Jumma activists, he was assured that they would be released by 8am today, Wednesday.
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