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News
No.38/2016: Sunday, April 24, 2016
ATTACKS
on Jumma neighbourhood, beating of Jumma voters, capture of polling centres,
rigging, coercion and intimidation marked the Union Council elections in
Khagrachari district yesterday.
In
a desperate attempt to get Awami League candidates win the elections, the army
and Bengali settlers carried out attacks on Jumma neighbourhoods and voters in
Kobakhali Union under Dighinala Upazila yesterday burning down a house and
looting seven others and three shops and injuring several people.
The
UPDF rejected the result of Kobakhali Union and demanded the election
commission hold fresh elections to 12 polling centres across Khagrachari
district.
The
ruling Awami League candidate Jahangir Alam won in Kobakhali Union through
massive rigging, violence and coercion.
‘The
army snatched my victory and handed it to the Awami League candidate; I don’t
accept the result,’ claimed Bishwa Kalyan Chakma, who had served the Union for the
last two consecutive terms.
UPDF
in a statement condemned the attack and provided the name of the victims. According
to UPDF, the house the settlers set on fire during the attack belonged to
Chikka Moni Chakma.
The
attack took place at 1:30 pm after the election agents of Bishwa Kalyan Chakma
challenged Bengali settlers casting fake votes.
‘The
army took side with the settlers and beat up Jumma voters indiscriminately’
UPDF said, adding that the settlers then took full control of three polling
centres at Hachinson-pur High School, Hachinsonpur government primary school
and Halimia Madrasha and stuffed ballot boxes with fake votes.
The
settlers also burnt down the motorbike of Dipon Jyoti Chakma, the chief election
agent of Bishwa Kalyan Chakma while the army picked up five Jummas including
Himel Chakma and Joy Shashi Chakma.
In
another incident, the settlers spread a rumour saying that their candidate
Jahangir Alam was kidnapped by ‘Pahari terrorists’ when he visited a polling
centre at Tarabon in Kobakhali Union, prompting the army to rush there and
beating up Jumma voters who had lined up to cast their votes.
The
Jumma voters could not cast their votes in this polling centre as well.
The
army replicated this incident at Jora Bridge Government Primary school centre.
At 2:30 pm they went there and beat up the Jumma voters who had queued up to
cast their votes, injuring four of them including a woman.
The
injured Jummas have been identified as Tuthya Chakma, 26, Puronjoy Chakma, 40,
Gita Chakma, 27, and Sadhan Bikash Chakma.
After
the incident the Jummas fled from the polling centre leaving it wide open for
the Bengali settlers to rig.
The
attack on the Jumma people was premeditated to rig the poll, alleged UPDF who
supported Bishwa Kalyan Chakma in the election.
Loots
During
the attack the settlers looted seven houses belonging to Soubhagya Chakma, 46,
son of Ujit Kumar Chakma, Suprakash Chakma, 65, son of Jyotirmoy Chakma, Joy
Prakash Chakma, 45, son of Jyotirmoy Chakma, Mrs Joy Sudha Chakma, 45, daughter
of Jyotirmoy Chakma, Dwip Prakash Chakma, 42, son of Jyotirmoy Chakma, Chayan
Chakma, 35, son of Nil Moni Chakma and Nil Moni Chakma,70, son of unknown.
The
shops looted by the Bengali settlers belong to Monindra Chakma, 65, son of
unknown, Sunirbindu Chakma, 70, son of late Chitra Kumar Chakma and Dev Jyoti
Chakma, 48, son of Chandra Kumar Chakma.
Rigging in Panchari and
Mahalchari
UPDF
leader Ujjwal Smriti Chakma alleged that in Panchari the settlers captured six
polling centres and carried out massive rigging. The captured polling centres
included Mohammadpur government Primary school, Panchari Model government
primary school, Talukderpara government primary school, Hassan Nagar government
primary school and Pilot Farm government Primary school under Panchari Sadar
Union No. 1 and Logan Bazaar school in Loang Union.
Massing
rigging was also reported from Guchchagram government primary school centre,
Abashik government primary school centre and Mahalchari Pilot High school
centre in Mahalchari Sadar Union.
The
Bengali settlers captured these centres, drove the Jumma voters away and stuffed
ballot boxes in favor of their candidate.
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