Attack on CHT commission car in Rangamati

Blockaders put barricade felling logs on a road in Bandarban Saturday. Photo: TV grab

Three people including a member of CHT (Chittagong Hill Tracts) commission were injured as its vehicle came under an attack by Bangalee settlers, who have been protesting the visit of the commission members in Rangamati today.

Commission member Dr Iftekharuzzaman, also executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), Monu Sohel Imtiaz, officer-in-charge of Rangamati Kotwali Police Station, and Ilira Dewan, a researcher of CHT Commission, were injured when the protesters threw brick chips on their vehicles.

Two vehicles -- one of the commission and the other of the local police -- came under the attack around 1:50pm when the commission members were going to Rangamati town from Rangamati Parjatan Motel, Hana Shams Ahmed, coordinator of the commission, told The Daily Star.

The commission, which monitors implementation of the 1997 CHT Accord, had gone to visit Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban to learn about a couple of land disputes where state machineries were allegedly involved.

The visit included knowing whether any human rights would be violated following the government decision to establish BGB offices in Babuichhara in Khagrachhari.

Bangalee settlers protested the visit, terming it controversial and questioning the impartiality of the commission.

They alleged that the commission is instigating communal conflict between Bangalee and indigenous people in hills.

Declaring the CHT Commission unwanted in the region, earlier around 10:00am, the settlers put barricade on the main road leading towards Rangamati town by felling logs when they came to know about the arrival of the commission members in the district, reports our Rangamati correspondent.

Being resisted by the settlers, the commission members were on their way to Chittagong by the Deputy Commissioner’s vehicle when the report was filed around 3:30pm.

The delegation reached the district yesterday.

Six organisations of Bangalee settlers yesterday called on 36-hour road and waterway blockade in Rangamati protesting the commission’s visit to the hilly region. Later, they withdrew the blockade knowing that the commission returned to Chittagong.

The organisations are: Somo Odhikar Andolan, Parbatya Gono Parishad, Parbatya Nagorik Parishad, Parbatya Bangalee Chhatra Parishad, Parbatya Bangalee Chhatra Oikya Parishad, and Parbatya Somo Odhikar Chhatra Andolan. 

The delegation already visited Khagrachhari on Thursday. 

Meanwhile, Parbattya Bangalee Chhatra Parishad and Bangalee Nagorik Parishad enforced a four-day blockade in Bandarban from today protesting the commission’s visit in the region.

Only long-distance vehicles are not plying the streets since the blockade began 6:00am, reports our Bandarban correspondent.