On 10 January 2015, the inauguration of Rangamati Medical College ignoring mass disapproval sparked fresh conflicts throughout the Rangamati town. In a stage, the conflicts between Pahari Chatra Parishad (Hill Student Council) and the student and youth frontline organisations of ruling Awami League namely Chatra League & Juba League, which was sparked during the observation of dawn-to-dusk road and waterway blockade in Rangamati hill district called by PCP (Pahari Chatra Parishad) demanding postponement of establishing Medical College and University of Science & Technology in Rangamati until full implementation of CHT Accord of 1997, turned into Jumma-Bengali communal clashes for 10-11 January 2015. In this violence, at least 30 persons including more than 20 Jummas were injured on 10 January and at least 7 Jummas sustained injuries and three houses including two houses belonging to indigenous Jummas were burnt to ashes.
Despite strong protests of various Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Regional Council, civic rights groups and indigenous peoples’ organisations including PCJSS, one of the signatory parties of CHT Accord, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has inaugurated Rangamati Medical College along with other 10 medical colleges across the country through satellite video conference from her official residence Gono Bhaban in Dhaka.
PCJSS has the ground to believe that the present government and the local Awami League led by Dipankar Talukdar constitute the party responsible for sparking fresh communal conflicts in Rangamati town as the government inaugurated the Rangamati Medical College ignoring popular opposition of CHT people, the reckless act of which triggered exploding agitation of the indigenous people. In addition, instead of mitigating the agitation of Jumma people, the Dipankar-led local Awami League in orchestration with Chatra League and Juba League instigated communal forces, such as, Samo Odhikar Andolon, Parbatya Juba Front etc. to spread communal sentiment directing to intensify the attacks upon the Jummas.
Please find full report of this incident here.
PCJSS Statement-on Rengamati violence following medical college inauguration (10-11 Jan 2015)-Eng