Five men, who the police claim were activists of JSS ( MN Larma faction), have been killed in a clash with security forces in Rangamati’s Baghachharhi Upazila. Local police OC Zakir Hossain told bdnews24.com that the clash occurred early on Saturday at Barhadam in Rupkari Union. One of the dead has been identified as Rupayan Chakma, he said. The others are yet to be identified. An army trooper Liakat Ali was also injured in the clash, added OC Hossain. He has been taken to Combined Military Hospital in Chittagong. The JSS fought a bloody bushwar against Bangladesh security forces for 22 years from 1975. In 1997, their leaders signed an accord with the Bangladesh government and the bitter insurgency ended. But the JSS continued to wage a bloody fratricidal feud with another hill based organisation UPDF. It also split when some leaders revolted against its supremob Santu Larma and named their faction after his late brother MN Larma. Dozens of activists of both groups have been killed in the past 15 years. But Saturday’s encounter between the army and JSS was the first since the 1997 accord. In recent months, Bangladesh intelligence has received reports that the JSS was re-arming itself because its leaders were disillusioned with the failure to get enough autonomy for the Chittagong Hill Tracts. –bdnews24.com
