Baghaichhari Correspondent, CHT News
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
On July 1, 2025, six villagers from Rangapani Chara village in Ward
6 of Sajek Union, Rangamati, were abducted by the JSS (Santu Group). Of them,
three managed to escape captivity on August 26, 2025.
A press conference was scheduled today, Tuesday (September 2, 2025),
at Uzo Bazar in Sajek, organized by the Sajek Gano Adhikar Raksha Committee
(Sajek Public Rights Protection Committee), demanding the rescue of the
remaining three villagers. However, the army allegedly did not allow
journalists to attend the press conference.
According to reports, journalists from various print and electronic
media were intercepted by the army at Dighinala army zone while on their way to
the event. They were first seated at Golghar (reception room), then called into
the office of the zone commander. Lieutenant Colonel Md. Omar Faruk (4 Bengal),
commander of Dighinala Zone, spoke to the journalists, offered them tea and
snacks, and ultimately instructed them not to proceed to Sajek.
When the journalists failed to arrive, organizers contacted them by
phone. One electronic media journalist confirmed that they had been detained at
Dighinala Zone and sent back, making it impossible for them to attend the
event.
Thereafter, around 2 PM, a brief meeting was held instead with the
elders present, where the three villagers who had escaped shared their
experiences.
The six abducted individuals were:
1. Dhan Moni Chakma (20), son of Manjugulo Chakma
2. Som Bikash Chakma (27), son of Punong Chan Chakma
3. Subesh Chakma (27), son of Manjugulo Chakma
4. Bhanga Hada Chakma (45), father unknown
5. Lakhi Shanti Chakma (48), son of Kina Chan Chakma
6. Khuliya Chakma (38), son of Ade Chandra Chakma
All are residents of Rangapani Chara and are ordinary jhum
(slash-and-burn) cultivators.
Although there had been no trace of them for nearly two months, on
August 26, three—Dhan Moni Chakma, Som Bikash Chakma, and Subesh Chakma—escaped
from the captivity of the Santu Group. The whereabouts of the other three
remain unknown.
According to the escapees, those involved in the abduction were
Vikram Chakma (armed group commander under Santu Larma), Barun Chakma, Simon
Chakma, and their group.
To raise awareness and demand the rescue of the remaining abductees,
the Sajek Public Rights Protection Committee organized the press conference at
Uzo Bazar, inviting media personnel. However, due to army obstruction, the
journalists could not be present. A brief meeting was held instead, attended
by:
• Mahendra Tripura (Convener, Sajek Public Rights
Protection Committee)
• Babudhan Chakma (Member Secretary)
• Natun Joy Chakma (President, Sajek Karbari
Association)
• Jyoti Lal Chakma (President, Jhum Farmers Welfare
Association)
• Broj Kumar Chakma (President, Sajek Land
Protection Committee)
• Other respected local figures
During the meeting, the three individuals who escaped from JSS
captivity described their ordeal.
Both Mahendra Tripura and Babudhan Chakma condemned and protested
the army’s obstruction of the press conference.
Babudhan Chakma stated, “Based on what we heard from the three, it
is clear they are innocent and helpless villagers. They were abducted and
tortured on false accusations by Santu Larma’s armed group, nearly pushed to
death. We strongly condemn and protest this incident and demand the immediate
rescue of the remaining three still held hostage.”
He also urged the Santu Group to stop such heinous acts and instead
work for the welfare of the people.
Mahendra Tripura said, “These three survived by sheer luck.” He
demanded their rehabilitation.
Details of the Captivity:
The three escapees reported that they were lured to Udaypur by
Vikram Chakma under the pretense of a meeting, and then detained. For the first
two days, they were chained and brutally beaten in a village called Tholchara.
On the third night, they were taken by vehicle to a remote bamboo-thatched hut
in a village northeast of Dojor Bazar, where they were chained and held at the
house of a man named Milon Chakma (alias Hega).
During this time, local villagers from three nearby areas guarded
them in shifts—four at night, four during the day. The escapees had no
knowledge of the whereabouts of the other three abductees.
They said, “We were constantly anxious. Some of the guards would say
we’d be killed, others said we’d be released. This kept us in constant fear.”
They continued, “Finally, on the night of August 26, we managed to
escape. We didn’t know the roads or terrain. We went three days and three
nights without food, surviving only on wild snails, crabs, and bamboo shoots
from the stream. On August 29, we finally reached home.”
They are now reportedly suffering from various physical ailments.
The meeting ended with five demands, which include:
1. Bring the abductors to justice.
2. Take immediate action to rescue the three remaining abducted
villagers.
3. Ensure future safety and rehabilitation (including financial
support) for the three escapees.
4. Release the three escapees’ families, who are still under house
arrest of the JSS.
5. The administration must take strict measures to stop the Santu
Group’s anti-people activities such as killings, disappearances, abductions,
and extortion across Sajek as well as other parts of the Chittagong Hill
Tracts.
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