News No. 111/2014,Tuesday, December 16, 2014
THE Bengali settlers
have burnt down 50 houses and seven shops belonging to Jumma people in
Bogachari under Naniachar Upazila in Rangamati district as the local
administration celebrates Victory Day today.
The
attack took place at about 8am today as crowds of Bengali settlers
entered the Jumma villages under army protection.
Of
the houses burnt down, 37 are in Suridas Para, 7 in Bogachari Para and 6 in
Talukdar Para.
The
attackers also entered Karuna Boudha Vihara, beat up Rev. Ogasha Bhikkhu and
looted 4 Buddha statues from there.
The
attack is believed to be directly linked to the illegal takeover of 2 acres of
land belonging to Prafulla Chakma son of Padma Ranjan Chakma by Md. Afsar Ali,
an illegal Bengali settler from Bogachari.
After
the illegal takeover, Afsar planted pineapple saplings few months ago while
Jummas registered a protest.
The
settlers launched the attack after accusing the Jummas of destroying his
pineapple garden.
One
of the victims told chtnews.com that the army had not only
helped the settlers in the attack, but also directly participated in it.
He
said: “At 11am the army personnel doused a house, which was left
half-burnt from the fire set earlier by the settlers, with petrol and set it
alight. When the Jummas made a protest, the soldiers entered into an altercation
with them. Later, the Naniachar zone commander went there and beat up Anand
Chakma, member of Burighat Union Council No. 3, Mishon Chakma, Karbari of
Mulukkyachara village and Subintu Chakma,a villager for protesting against the
army’s action.”
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