Md Joynal Abedin Khan :
Different tribal groups have become desperate for establishing supremacy and collecting extortion in the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT) that being considered as the key cause of bloodshed in the three hill districts.
The groups, desperately engaged with sequel clashes and taking lives and damaging assets, are actually against the Peace Accord 1997.
Running battle for supremacy among the armed groups has turned Khagrachhari, Rangamati and Bandarban into a valley of death.
At least 16 leaders and supporters of Jono Sanghoti Somity (JSS), JSS (Larma), United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) and UPDF (democratic) were killed in gunfights, grenade attacks and brush firing in last 30 days, while over 1000 killed in last 20 years, said our local correspondent quoting intelligence sources.
Most of the victims are leaders and activists of United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF), Parbatya Chattogram Janasanghati Samity (PCJSS)-Santu and PCJSS (reformists).
Sources said, the hilly people have to pay extortion to the tribal armed cadres if they want to start any type of type.
Recently, law enforcers have compiled the rate of extortion between pro-peace accord PCJSS and the anti-accord group UPDF, they said.
These groups even collect toll on per cubic feet wood and per hundred bamboos.
The militant outfits fix toll of different rates depending on wood, bamboo or professional varieties. For each bunch of banana, a farmer has to pay Tk 6 and Tk 10 to PCJSS and UPDF respectively, according to them.
PCJSS collects toll at 12 percent and 6 percent on selling of each cow and goat, while the UPDF charges Tk 200 for each cow and Tk 100 for each goat. A professional fisherman has to pay Tk 40,000 and Tk 50,000 annually to PCJSS and UPDF respectively. Others also have to pay according to their list of subscription, they added.
Security expert Major General Abdur Rashid (retd) warned, “The local groups may take up arms against the state in future, if the authorities fail to tackle the situation with an iron hand right now.”
He suggested frequent special drives to seize weapons from the tribal groups.
“After signing a peace treaty on December 2, 1997, Shantu Larma, along with about PCJSS 1,200 activists, pledged to establish peace in the area. But PCJSS is trying to eliminate the UPDF from the hills and that’s why they are killing our men,” said a UPDF leader.
A PCJSS leader said at least 400 activists of his group have been killed since signing of the peace accord in 1997.
Chakma circle chief Devasish Roy said that volunteers are assaulted by the law enforcers in several times in the hilly areas.
Monti Chakma, President of Hill Women’s Federation, Rangamati unit, said indigenous women are being raped frequently by the armed terrorists.
“The government is serious about the armed activity and murders by local groups, we’ll take measures according to the government’s directions,” said Alamgir Kabir, Superintendent of Police of Rangamati.
The law enforcers ready to tackle the armed groups’ activities, the SP said.
We are conducting the drive to arrest the terrors to stop the conflicts among the groups, he said.
