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Settler attack in Tabalchari leaves one injured


News No. 112/2012, Tuesday, October 16, 2012

ONE JUMMA woman was injured and several houses including a Hindu temple were damaged and looted when a group of Bengali settlers on Monday night attacked Rajdhar Karbaripara village of Baranal Union in Tabalchari under Matiranga Upazila.

The attack, which took place at around 9pm, forced the Jummas to flee their homes.

According to sources, a group of Bengali settlers from Dak Bangla and its adjacent areas carried out the attack after accusing the Jummas of ‘being involved in extortion and terrorist activities’.

‘At least six houses and a Shiva temple of the Hindu community have been ransacked and looted.’ a resident of Rajdhar Karbaripara, home to 28 families belonging to ethnic Tripura nationality, told chtnews.com.

According to him, the marauding settlers looted Taka 50 thousand and 20 kgs of husked rice from Loli Tripura alias Mishtri, Taka 15 thousand from Saang Kumar Tripura, Taka 2 thousand from Mungroi Tripura, a multi-media mobile phone set from Kantisha Tripura and a mobile phone set from Paanbiti Tripura.

The attackers also ransacked their houses and beat up 60-year old Bidhata Tripura, wife of Mohedhor Tripura in the village. She is now undergoing treatment at her home.

Additionally, most of the other houses including that of the village chief Dhomini Kumar Tripura were pelted with brickbats, creating panic among the villagers, who took shelter in the jungle.

At around 10pm, members of the Border Guards Bangladesh from nearby Jamini Para camp were deployed, and the settlers called it a day.

However, the settlers also tried to attack Barogram, a Jumma populated village but retreated when they saw groups of Jumma villagers prepared to defend themselves.

The Jumma villagers allege that the attack was led by Ali Akbar, chairman of Baronal Union Council No. 3; Dhana Mian, a Member of the same Union Council; Mohiuddin, a local Awami Leage leader; Alauddin alias Babul, a former Union Council member, and Shahajahan, a Bengali settler.

‘There is still panic and fear among the villagers and many of those who fled their home are yet to come back.’ a villager said.

A meeting between Jummas and Bengali settlers is scheduled to be held at the local BGB camp at 3pm today, sources added.

A similar attack on 4 August in Master Para and Kadamtoli in the same Tabalchari area had forced Jumma villagers to cross the border to India. They returned home only after a flag meeting between the BGB and the Indian BSF forces.
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