Khagrachari and Rangamati Correspondent //

After the violence that took place last Thursday night in Khagrachari, clashes, vandalism and arson occurred in Rangamati on Friday (September 20) between the Pahari-Bengali groups. In these incidents, 4 people lost their lives in Khagrachari and Rangamati till 8 pm on Friday. Among them, three people were killed and 20 injured in Khagrachari and one person was killed and 50 injured in Rangamati. 6 of them are in serious condition.

After the incident, the administration issued Section 144 in Khagrachari and Rangamati from noon to 9 pm on Friday. On the other hand, Pahari Chhatra Parishad has called for a 72-hour road blockade in three hill districts from Saturday in protest against the violent incident.

The situation is prevailing in Khagrachari and Rangamati. The movement of vehicles and general people is stopped. Apart from this, shops and private institutions are also closed. Based on these incidents, a statement issued by the Chief Adviser’s office has instructed all quarters to show maximum restraint. Apart from this, Home Affairs Adviser Lt. General (Retd.) Md. A high-level government delegation headed by Jahangir Alam Chowdhury is visiting Khagrachari and Rangamati today.

It is known that on the charge of theft. A young man named Mamun was beaten to death in the district headquarters on Wednesday morning. As a result of this incident, violence occurred in various places of Khagrachari from Thursday afternoon. 3 people lost their lives till Friday night in these violence. Apart from this, 20 more people were injured. 7 of them have been admitted to Khagrachari Sadar Hospital. 4 people have been sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital in critical condition. To keep the situation under control, the administration issued Section 144 in Khagrachari district headquarters and municipal towns from 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Friday.

According to the police, the name of the deceased in Dighinala is Dhanranjan Chakma (50). He was the son of Kandara Chakma of Dighinala. On Thursday, he was shot and killed in a clash between two sides and fire in Dighinala. The other two killed are Rubel Tripura (19) and Juran Chakma (20). Rubel is the son of Jamini Mohan Chakma of Khagrachari district headquarters. Juran Chakma lost his life in brushfire in Narankhaiya area of ​​Khagrachari.

Khagrachari Modern Sadar Hospital resident doctor Ripal Bappi Chakma confirmed that the body of the deceased is in the hospital. He said, one of them was brought dead. Two others died in the hospital while undergoing treatment.
Meanwhile, on Friday morning, Deputy Commissioner Md. Shahiduzzaman, Dighinala army zone captain Lt. Colonel Omar and Superintendent of Police Arifin Jewell visited the affected area of ​​Dighinala. At this time, they spoke to the local people and promised to bring the guilty people under the law, including setting up a committee to investigate the incident. He expressed his condolences to the families of those killed and injured in the incident. On Thursday, tension spread over the incident in various places including Khagrachari district headquarters and Dighinala and Panchari. The law and order forces were attacked by blocking the road. Protesters attacked and vandalized fire service station in Panchari.

In a video clip circulating on social media in Narankhaiya and Swanirbhar areas of the district headquarters at night, the sound of gunshots can be heard. The injured and their guardians who are undergoing treatment in the hospital said that they tried to rescue some of them when they detained them in Narankhaiya area of ​​the district headquarters. At that time, the law and order forces opened fire and they were shot dead.

At present, there is panic and chaos in the public mind throughout Khagrachari district. At various places on the Khagrachari-Panchari road, the agitated hill people blocked the road by cutting down trees and throwing blocks built for the Chengi river. As a result, all types of vehicles are stopped. Security forces were seen patrolling Khagrachari district headquarters, Dighinala and Panchari.

In this regard, the zone commander of Dighinala army zone on behalf of law enforcement forces. Colonel Omar said that the situation in the entire district is now under control. There are army patrols on the streets. Apart from this, security forces have been urged not to take the law into their own hands. He said that those involved in the incident will soon be brought under the law.

Meanwhile, on Friday, one person was killed and 50 injured in a clash between the hill and Bengali sides over the march of hill students in Rangamati. Apart from this, regional council offices, banks, religious institutions, oil pumps and businesses were vandalized. Miscreants attacked and vandalized, looted and set fire to some houses in important places of the city. During this time miscreants vandalized 20-25 vehicles including buses, trucks, motorcycle autorickshaws in the city.

These attacks and vandalism and arson incidents took place in several places including Banrupa, Hapirmor, in front of the District Commissioner’s office in the district town from morning to noon.

According to hospital sources, at least one person was killed and 50 people were injured. However, the casualty was not immediately identified. Traffic has come to a standstill in Rangamati town since the massive clashes.

Locals said that hill students took out a protest march from the gymnasium premises of Rangamati town on Friday morning to protest the attack on Dighinala in Khagrachari on Thursday. When the procession reached Banrupa, some miscreants attacked and vandalized and set fire to various establishments along the city roads. At this time, the Bengalis clashed with the Paharis. Later, after an hour-long clash, the army actually brought the situation under control. However, miscreants set fire to some shops and residences. At least 15-20 shops were vandalized during this time.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain Khan has issued section 144 in Rangamati city from noon on Friday. But the situation is at a standstill.
Rangamati Kotwali police station OC Mohammad Ali said that the situation is currently under control. There is panic among the people, but the army is deployed at important places in the city to control the situation. Earlier on Wednesday morning, Md. was caught stealing a motorcycle in a hill house in Pankhaiya neighborhood of Ward No. 6 of Khagrachari municipality. A young man named Mamun (30) was beaten to death at that time. The deceased Mamun is the son of deceased Noor Nabi of Shalbagan area of ​​Khagrachari. Mamun’s relatives have blamed the residents of Pankhaiya neighborhood for this incident.

In protest of this incident, the students of Dighinala Degree College took out a protest march on Thursday afternoon. The conflict started around this procession. The clash between the two sides created an unstable situation in Dighinala. There were casualties. During this time, there were arson incidents in many places. At least 80 shops in Lerma Square were burnt to ashes. Due to this incident, Rangamati suddenly became hot.
The combined tribal student society held a protest march and protest rally at Bandarban Sadar on Friday in connection with the arson and attack on the houses and shops of Paharis in Dighinala of Khagrachari. At 11 o’clock, a protest march was started at Raja Mat area of ​​Bandarban Sadar and a protest rally was held at the traffic intersection. At this time, General Secretary of Bangladesh Marma Student Association Anghoisingh Marma presided

General Secretary of Tanchangya Chhatra Kalyan Forum Biton Tanchangya, Tonya Mro, John Tripura, Makhyai Marma, Hero Kheang and Hallelui Bom spoke in the rally moderated by Anant Tanchangya of Dhaka University.

Speakers said that in the early morning of September 19, a man named Mamun was seriously injured when he ran into an electric pole while stealing a motorcycle in Dighinala Sadar area of ​​Khagrachari. At that time, the local crowd mobbed him. Mamun was later taken to the hospital where the doctor declared him brought dead.

The students of Dighinala Government College held a protest march based on this incident. And some angry hillmen tried to attack the shops. Later it turned into communal attacks. In this, more than half a hundred hill shops and houses were burnt. The speakers warned that a long march will be made towards Dhaka in protest of this attack. They demanded a fair investigation of the incident and justice for the culprits.