Human rights group says Bangladesh military stood by as tribals attacked in CHT

Deteriorating regulation and order has been a characteristic of Bangladesh because the Awami League authorities led by Sheikh Hasina collapsed on August 5 because the nation has failed to revive the police system. File Picture Credit score: PTI

In a setback to inter-ethnic concord, greater than 100 homes and retailers belonging to indigenous communities have been set ablaze by miscreants in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), within the south-eastern a part of Bangladesh. Rights and Dangers Evaluation Group (RRAG), a human rights group based mostly right here that tracks the scenario of the group in CHT, stated the assault was carried out at a number of areas and {that a} large-scale assault on the indigenous group has taken place for the primary time since 2007.

Suhas Chakma, director of the Rights and Danger Evaluation Group (RRAG), accused the Bangladesh navy of offering tacit assist to the attackers, whom he described as “unlawful settlers from the plains.” “Consequently, there aren’t any Chakmas left within the Dighinala sadar space. We’re nonetheless awaiting particulars about casualties or different acts of violence at this level,” Chakma stated.

The breakdown of regulation and order has been a characteristic of Bangladesh because the Awami League authorities led by Sheikh Hasina collapsed on August 5 because the nation has not been in a position to restore the police system within the meantime. Residence Affairs Adviser Lt Gen Jehangir Alam Choudhury (retd) stated on Wednesday that these policemen who didn’t return to their posts is not going to be allowed to return to work. “They have been concerned in misdeeds,” Choudhury stated. Towards this difficult backdrop, the Bangladesh Military on September 17 took over the judiciary throughout the nation, which is able to allow it to hold out policing capabilities. Mr Chakma stated the scenario in CHT has remained unstable regardless of the military taking on the judiciary and famous that witnesses have reported that the military was seen supporting “settlers” in finishing up Thursday’s arson assault.

Chakma indigenous teams have been alleging {that a} systematic military-led course of was carried out between 1979 and 1983 to facilitate the inflow of at the least 500,000 “plains settlers” into the CHT.

Mr Chakma stated the inflow had lowered the rights of indigenous folks within the area over their very own lands. The regulation and order scenario in CHT had deteriorated in current weeks with reviews of sporadic violence. Towards this backdrop, native college students below the banner of Sanghat O Boishamyo Birodhi Pahari Chhatra Andolan (Hill College students Motion Towards Battle and Discrimination) held an enormous demonstration on Wednesday. RRAG reported that at the least one individual – Lenin Chakma, 35, from Kamukkochara, Tulapara was killed through the assault on Thursday and his physique was taken away by the Bangladesh Military. CHT has been a restive a part of Bangladesh as a result of ethnic composition of the area, which has complained of discrimination by Dhaka. The Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord was signed on 2 December 1997 between the Parbatyo Chattogram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) and the Authorities of Bangladesh through the first time period of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, recognising the distinct id of the indigenous communities within the area. Nonetheless, the accord got here below criticism in subsequent years for not sufficiently addressing the issues of the indigenous group.