Hill Tracts conflicts leave 33 dead in 10 months

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Ziaul Haque, Rangamati
Published : 02:30, Aug 19, 2018 | Updated : 02:30, Aug 19, 2018

Bodies are laid in hospital.As many as 33 people have been killed in conflicts among the regional parities over establishing supremacy with most of the incidents going unreported to law enforcement agencies.
“With the next general election nears, turf war among the four groups are the reasons behind the killings,” police’s Chattogram Range DIG Kandakar Golam Faruk told Bangla Tribune.
In the latest incident, six people were gunned down Khagrachhari on Saturday (Aug 18) after a shootout erupted just before a scheduled event of the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF).
Three sustained gunshot injuries during the shooting between two groups at the district town’s Shwanirbhor Bazar.
The UPDF claims its rival Chattogram Hill Tracts Jana Sanghati Samity (JSS) was behind the attack, while the JSS blamed UPDF’s internal feud.
UPDF Publicity wing chief Niran Chakma blamed JSS (MN Larma faction) for the killings. “There sole aim is to establish a reign of terror in the hills and today’s heinous attack was a part of it,” he said.
The JSS denied. “It’s an outcome of their internal feud. They have no reasons to blame us,” said JSS spokesperson Sudhangkar Chakma.
Conflict prevails between at least four active groups in the Hill Tracts which were once part of a single organisation called Chattogram Hill Tracts Jana Sanghati Samity (JSS), which signed a peace treaty in 1997.
In 1998, the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) led by Preetam Khisha emerged, opposing the treaty between the then-Awami League administration and JSS led by Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma alias Santu Larma.
Since then the two groups have been locked in conflicts in the three hill tract districts — Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari.
In 2007, a faction of JSS opposed Santu Larma’s leadership and became inactive until 2010, when they formed the JSS MN-Larma faction.
And last year, the UPDF splintered with the emergence of the UPDF (Ganatantrik) and opened up a fresh round of conflicts.
On May 3 this year, Rangamati Naniarchar Upazila Chairman and JSS (MN Larma) faction leader Shaktiman Chakma was shot dead in front his office while another leader, Rupom Chakma, was shot and injured.
The next day, 6 people were killed in an armed ambush on their way to the funeral of Shaktiman. The dead included top UPDF Ganatantrik leader Tapan Jyoti Barma.
FILE PHOTOOn May 21, former UPDF activist Ujjwal Kanti Chakma was murdered at Khagrachari’s Dighinala Upazila and the next day shootings broke out in broad daylight between two groups in the district town. Three UPDF activists were gunned down at a village in Rangamati’s Baghaichhari Upazila on th esame day.
No parties, however, were willing to report to police on the killings.
Rangamati detective inspector Md Pervez said, “Lawsuit has been filed over only one murduer out of 17 so far over the past year.”
Security forces remain alert to avoid any possible incident.
“Police’s detectives and Special Branches have been asked to stay vigilant to prevent further violence in the area,” DIG Faruk told Bangla Tribune.

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