A massive communal and arson attack on four Jumma localities was carried by the Bengali Muslim settlers with the support of army and police in Longadu under Rangamati hill district of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) on 2 June 2017. This organized and army-police-backed arson and communal attack claimed more than 250 Jumma houses burnt to ashes, of which it counts more than 94 houses and shops in Tintila of Longadu upazila headquarters and at least 88 houses at Manikjorchara and more 42 houses at Battya Para villages to have been completely burnt down. It is reported that at least an aged woman named Guna Mala Chakma (75) w/o late Rabichan Chakma was killed in this arson attack.
It is learnt that centering recovery of a dead body identified to be of a driver of motor cycle Nurul Islam Nayon in Khagrachari, a belligerent procession of the Bengali Muslim settlers led by Juba League (youth wing of ruling Awami League) from Battya Para of Longadu upazila took to street under coverage of the army and police forces around 9:00 am. When the procession reached at Longadu upazila headquarters around 10:00 am, the settlers from within the procession began looting and setting fire in the Jumma houses and shops including the PCJSS office without any provocation. At this, 94 houses including 10 shops belonging Jumma people got burnt down. Afterward, the Bengali Muslim settlers left for nearby Manikjorchara to attack the village under army and police force protection. At this, around 88 houses of the village including 5 shops were completely reduced to ashes. At that time, the Bengali Muslim settlers led by Juba League were making arson attack on Jumma houses in one hand and were also organising demonstration protesting against killing of Nurul Islam Nayon on the other.
The local administration promulgated Section 144 around 12:00 noon. But it was learnt that despite being so, the settlers moved ahead under army-police guard and set fire in the villages of Battya Para and Boradam villages. In this attack, 42 houses including 4 shops in Battya Para were burnt to ashes.
On receipt of the news of setting out a procession with the dead body last night, the local Jumma public representatives and leaders called on Longadu army zone and Longadu police station authorities to apprise their sense of danger and lacking of security. In the morning on 2 June, the 2nd-in-Command (2IC) Major Rafique of Longadu army zone of 2 EBR assured on behalf of the army zone saying: “Staging procession is a democratic right of the settlers. They will exercise their right peacefully. No untoward incident will be allowed to happen. Hence, there is nothing to be worried.” Saying so, the commander assured the local Jumma public representatives and leaders, but it is a great irony that the settlers carried out organized attacks, looted and set fire in the Jumma houses and shops in all time presence of Longadu Zone Commander Lt. Col. Abdul Alim Choudhury psc, 2IC Major Rafique of 2 EBR and Officer-In-Charge (OC) of Longadu police station Mominul Islam along with the joint forces.
Gutted office of Longadu PCJSS. Photo: Himel Chakma
It is learnt that the militant procession of the settlers was also participated by the national parties irrespective of their ideologies and differences, such as, ruling Awami League, BNP, Jatiya Party, Jamat-E-Islam etc. including the so-called Parbatya Chattagram Samo Odhikar Andolan (CHT Equal Rights Movement) and other upstarts organizations of the settlers. As part of their solidarity, Juba League, youth wing of the ruling party, organized a procession at 11:00 am today in Rangamati town in protest against killing of the said motor bike driver. It has been reported that anti-Jumma communal slogans were shouted during the demonstration.
Despite assurance given on part of the army and police authorities, the unabated looting and arson attack in the Jumma houses in the very presence of the authorities who ensured verbal assurance, it can safely be concluded that the Bengali Muslim settlers procession with the dead body has been a deliberate one in orchestration of the army-police forces and local leadership of the ruling party.
It is also learnt that Longadu Zone Commander Lt. Col. Abdul Alim Chowdhury psc and Officer-In-Charge (OC) of Longadu police station Mominul Islam actively participated and delivered speech in the demonstration. Besides, Member of Rangamati Hill District Counci and General Secretary of Longadu Awami League (AL) Jane Alam, Chairman of Longadu Upazila Parishad and President of Longadu Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Tofajjal Hossain, Vice Chairman of Longadu Upazila Parishad and Amir of Longadu Jamat-E-Islam Nasiruddin, leader of CHT Sama Odhikar Andolon Advocate Absar Ali, General Secretary of Juba League Shafiqul Islam and President of Bangali Chhatra Parishad Alamgir Hossain et al, also delivered speeches in the demonstration. Army, police and political leaders of ruling party first participated in the demonstration and them made arson attack as did by political leaders of all national political parties, security and law enforcing personnel and officials of local administration during the communal and arson attack on Buddhist community in Ramu under Cox’s Bazar district in September 2012.
PCJSS considers this sort of organized communal and arson attack that happened today, has been conducted with the support of state machineries and local leadership of the ruling party to evict the Jumma people from their ancestral lands, to obstruct the implementation process of the CHT Accord, and over all to achieve their mean objective of turning the CHT region into a Muslim-dominated region.
The PCJSS, called upon all the parties concerned to stop the army-police-backed communal and arson attacks by the Bengali Muslim settlers and to step up legal measures to bring all those army-police personnel and settlers responsible for the attack, looting and arson in the Jumma houses and shops, on an emergency basis.
Masterminds of the communal and arson attack:
- Major Rafique, 2nd-in-Command, Longadu army zone, 2 EBR.
- Subedar Major Md. Rafique, Longadu army zone, 2 EBR.
- Md. Saiful Islam (55), Tintila Bazar; joined to AL from BNP.
- Khulilur Rahman Khan (40), Tintila Bazar; joined to AL from BNP.
- Md. Juwel (37), s/o Abdul Hamid, Batya Para; Juba League.
- Abdul Halim (40), Tintila Bazar, BNP.
- Mohammad Ershad (35), s/o Abdul Barek Sarker, Gadochara, Mainy; AL.
- Md. Shah Alam Murad (42), Tintila; BNP.
- Abdul Sattar (30), Kattali, Tintila; BNP.
- Md. Abu (30). s/o Mohammad Ali, Batya Para; AL.
- Md. Mostafa, s/o Mohammad Ali, Batya Para; AL.
- Choton Das, Mainy; AL.
- Shamim, s/o Tajul Islam, Batya Para, AL.
- Md. Nazrul Islam, s/o Mahbub Member, Batya Para; AL.
- Alamgir Hossain Mona, president of Motorcycle Driver Association, Ward No. 9, Bogachadar union, Longadu.
- Md. Delowar Hosssain, General Secretary, Bangalee Chhatra Parishad, Jalya Para, Bogachadar union, Longadu.
- Tofajjal Hossain, Chairman of Longadu Upazila Parishad and President of Longadu BNP.
- Nasir Uddin, Vice Chairman of Longadu Upazila Parishad and Amir of Longadu Jamat-E-Islam.
- Advocate Absar Ali, leader of Sama Odhikar Andolon.
- Shafiqul Islam, General Secretary of Longadu Juba League.
- Sarowar Hossain Molla, Information & Press Secretary of Longadu AL.