Sajek Correspondent, CHT News
Sunday, October 25, 2026
A 40-year-old Indigenous man was allegedly subjected
to severe physical abuse by Bangladesh Army personnel at an army camp in Sajek,
Baghaichari, Rangamati, on Sunday, October 25, 2026, while traveling to
Khagrachhari for medical treatment.
The incident reportedly occurred around 10 a.m. at the
Kachalong Army Camp near Ujobazar, according to local residents.
The victim, Laden Chakma, is the son of the late
Chandra Chakma and a resident of Surungnala village in Sajek Union. He was
reportedly injured in an alleged beating by army personnel during a peaceful
road blockade in Ujobazar on October 22.
According to local sources, the Sajek Public Rights
Protection Committee and the Sajek Karbari Association organized the blockade
to press three demands, including the withdrawal of armed members of the Santu
faction from Sajek. Army personnel allegedly attacked the protesters, beat them
with batons and fired shots, causing panic in the area.
During the incident, soldiers allegedly detained Laden Chakma and beat him severely, leaving him seriously injured. After receiving initial treatment, he continued to suffer from his injuries and was unable to recover. On Sunday morning, he was traveling by auto-rickshaw to a hospital in Khagrachhari for further treatment when soldiers stopped him at the Kachalong Army Camp and allegedly beat him again. He was subsequently sent back home.
The alleged beating left his thighs severely bruised
and darkened, and he was reportedly unable to sit or stand properly.
“I took part in the road blockade last Thursday. That
day, army personnel caught me and beat me mercilessly. I managed to escape, but
I have been unable to receive proper medical treatment for the past two or
three days. I can barely move. That is why I was going to Khagrachhari for
treatment today. On the way, the army personnel stopped me at the Kachalong
Camp in Ujobazar and beat me severely,” Laden Chakma said, describing the
incident.
He further alleged that the soldiers threatened to
kill him and his family and recorded a video in which they forced him to make a
false confession. Although they eventually released him, he said, soldiers
later returned to his home in an apparent attempt to detain him again.
Leaders of the Sajek Public Rights Protection
Committee and the Sajek Karbari Association strongly condemned the alleged
torture, describing the detention and beating of a person seeking medical
treatment as inhumane and unacceptable. They also criticized the alleged
obstruction of his access to medical care.
The organizations said the administration had proposed
talks to address their five-point demands and resolve the ongoing situation in
Sajek. A meeting was scheduled for Monday, October 26.
“Given the circumstances, what does this kind of
inhumane conduct by the army signify? Do they not want peace to be restored in
the area?” the leaders asked.
Local residents also alleged that people in Ujobazar
and neighboring villages were afraid to move freely because of army harassment.
They further claimed that army personnel were obstructing residents from
traveling to obtain medical treatment.
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