6 injured as Bangalees, ethnic people clash over land

At least six people were injured in a clash over land dispute between local ethnic community and Bangalee settlers at Kyang Ghat area under Mohalchhari upazila under the district on Sunday.

Locals said there was a longstanding dispute between the local ethnic people and Bangalee settlers over about 10 acres of land in Tabalchhari area under the union.

The disputed land is owned by three ethnic people but Bangalee settlers have been demanding its ownership since the 1980s.

The owners, in a bid to avoid dispute, donated the land to some landless ethnic people. About four months back, they built houses on the land and it added to the tension between the ethnic people and the Bangalees. 

Defying request from the local administration and people's representatives, both sides started erecting houses there.

Kyang Ghat Union Parishad Chairman Bishwajit Chakma went to the spot on December 9. He fixed a boundary and took written pledge from both sides that they would not cross the boundary. On Saturday, a Bangalee built a house along the border and the ethnic people objected. The dispute turned into a clash on Sunday.

The ethnic people alleged that in a sequel to the clash the Bangalees burnt the house of one of them at Rangapanirchhara Mukh area, about one kilometre from the spot of the clash. The Bangalees ransacked two houses and looted eight to 10 houses of the ethnic people, they said.

Mohalchhari Police Station OC Nure Alam Faquir said no one filed case in this regard as of yesterday noon.