Jumma teenager killed after rape

AN 11-year old Jumma girl has been killed reportedly after rape in Boalkhali Union under Dighinala Upazila.

The victim has been identified as Sunika Chakma alias Milacha, a class three student of Kamokyachara Government Primary School. Her father’s name is late Nama Chakma.

Police recovered her lifeless, naked body yesterday morning near Zia Nagor.

Sunika’s mother Kalpana Chakma said, “It was about 8pm on Thursday (12 May). We were sitting at home after taking our meals. At that time Ranga Chand Chakma from our neighbouring village came to our house. He sent my daughter to Shafi’s shop for some cigarettes. When, after a long time, she had not returned, I went out to the shop and asked the Bengalis present there whether they had seen my daughter. They said they had not. Then I went to Happy’s father at his house to enquire about my daughter. He said he had seen her coming back from Shafi’s shop. Then I came back home, thinking she might have been under the influence of ghost’s spell. It never occurred to me that she might be killed in this way.”

She said Tulapara and Zia Nagar are two neighbouring villages. “Ali Azom’s son Md. Kashem of Zia Nagar often teased my daughter. On 14 April, he broke into our house and attempted to rape her. At that time elders from both Jumma and Bengali communities sat together and settled the issue.” she added.

Kalpana Chakma further told chtnews.com that many Bengali youths from Zia Nagar including Kashem, Zakir, Battya Zakir, Jamallya, Shahid and Illyus gambled and drunk either on her courtyard or under the trees nearby almost everyday.

“On the day my daughter was disappeared, Hashem and others had gambled under the three on my courtyard till 7pm.” she added.

She accused Kashem and other Bengali youths of raping and killing her daughter.

“No other people can do it. I didn’t understand that they had this on their mind for so long.” she said.

Empty wine bottles, cigarettes, chocolates, parts of a broken torchlight and the blood stained dress of the girl were found at a place between Kalpana Chakma’s house and the shop. She is believed to have been killed there after being raped repeatedly.

Kalpana Chakma filed a case yesterday with Dighinala police station against Kashem and others in this connection under sections 9(3)/34 of the Women and Child Repression Act 2000.

The Hill Women’s Federation’s Khagrachari district unit President Madri Chakma and General Secretary Mishuk Chakma in a joint statement yesterday condemned the rape and murder of Sunika Chakma and demanded that the culprits be arrested and awarded exemplary punishment.

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Source : chtnews.com

JPN-UK holds demo in London against Ramgarh attack

THE Jumma People’s Network-UK yesterday staged a peaceful demonstration in front of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London to protest the recent attacks on indigenous Jumma villages in Ramgarh in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region of Bangladesh.


Apart from JPN-UK members, the demonstration was also attended by Ansar Ahmed Ullah, a leader of the Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmal Committee; Kamal Rajapakse of Sinhala Foundation, Anura Seneviratan, Alan Craig of Christian Peoples Alliance and D Brunetti.


The JPN-UK also handed in a petition addressed to the Foreign Secretary William Hague and a letter from Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD) to an official of the ministry. A copy of the memo was also handed over to Mr. Jack Straw, former Home and Justice Secretary, who was present there.

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Source : chtnews.com

UPDF member arrested in Ramgarh

A MEMBER of the United Peoples’ Democratic Front (UPDF) has been arrested in a midnight army raid in the village of Choto Pilak under Hafchari Union in Ramgarh Upazila, UPDF sources say.

The arrested UPDF member, Holusha Thoai Marma alias Amar Master, aged 45, son of Nipru Aung Marma, was sleeping in his father’s house in the village. His own family house is a few miles away in Shonkhola Para, which came under settler attack on 17 April.

Reports say, a group of army personnel from Sindukchari zone raided Choto Pilak village at midnight last night (10 May) and arrested him.

Mr. Marma has no cases filed against him with any police station, nor was there any arrest warrant against him at the time of arrest.

In another incident, a group of army personnel from Laxmichari zone last night raided the village of Wakchari under Hafchari Union and caught two Jummas from a tea shop.

They are Thoai Pru Marma, 35, son of Chui Thoai Marma and Mong Pru Marma, 26. However, they were released hours later after primary interrogation.

The army stayed in the village till morning.

Jummas boycott meeting called by army in Ruma

THE Jumma people in Ruma have boycotted a meeting called by army today, sources have said.

Lt. Col. Imtiaz, commander of Ruma zone, called the meeting today, Monday, at 10am at Ruma High School ground.

Mr. Imtiaz was posted to Ruma garrison from Baghaichari zone last year. He was the mastermind behind the 19 – 20 April 2010 Sajek attacks which left 4 innocent Jumma villagers dead and nearly 500 houses burnt.

Today is market day for Ruma bazaar. Hundreds of Jumma people from all corners of the area thronged the market, but none attended the meeting.

The army invited the Jummas to the meeting with loud speakers and set tables and chairs on the school ground.

But as no Jumma attended the meeting, the army called off the meeting and left the venue at 11am.

The army is reportedly set 11 May for the next meeting.

It is not known why the today’s meeting was called, however, knowledgeable sources believe that it might have been a reaction to a ‘Long March’ organized by Ruma people on 3 May in protest against a land acquisition plan of the government to expand Ruma garrison and build a new BGB headquarters in Ruma.

If the acquisition goes as planned, it would displace thousands of Jumma people, mostly people from Mro community, and destroy the natural environment of the area.

The UPDF has hailed the decision of the Ruma people to boycott the meeting, saying this symbolic protest would send a strong signal to the army and the government.

It urged the people to continue the movement until victory is won.

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Source : chtnews.com

Another land grab attempt in Ramgarh

THE settlers made another unsuccessful attempt to grab land in Ramgarh under Khagrachari district yesterday.

According to sources, at around 9am, a group of 30 – 40 settlers from Gochchabil and Jamtola went to Wakchari village under Hafchari Union to grab about 10 acres of land belonging to Jumma people.

When they began clearing bushes and shrubs for aurum cultivation, a member of Hafchari Union, Ula Pru Marma, protested, asking them not to take away other people’s lands.

But the settlers paid no heed to him, and claimed that the land belonged to them.

“The settlers said they would cultivate aurum on the land,” a Jumma villager told chtnews.com.

He said tension between the two communities increased after that and many Jummas had fled their homes in fear of attacks.

However, at 12pm, the Jumma villagers picked up courage, organized themselves and then repulsed the settlers’ attempt to grab their land.

According to the villagers, some of the settlers involved in the land grab attempt have been identified. They are Md. Momin, Md. Sultan and Md. Shafi from Gochchabil and Md. Shahab Mian, Mondol, Md. Yunus, Md. Sultan, Malek Bhandari, Md. Shahajahan, Md. Karim, Md. Yusuf, Md. Hafizur, Md. Goda Mian and Md. Hakim from Gamtola.

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Source : chtnews.com

Attempt to grab 400 acres of land in Lama

THERE are allegations of a plot to capture government Khas land as well as lands belonging to Tripura community in Phaitong Mouza under Lama Upazila of Bandarban district, according to a report published in Samakal, a Bengali daily, today.

The villagers alleged that Chairman Nuru and Mohammad Shamshu, brother of ex-chairman, were attempting to grab 400 acres of land in the area.

Already, 20 acres of forest belonging to the villagers have been destroyed, the report said.

When the villagers resisted the move, the land grabbers filed a GD (General Diary) with the police.

In 1980, the district administration leased out 120 acres of land in Phaitong Mouza No. 306 to one A. A. Sultan Ahmed for horticulture.

However, the authorities canceled his lease in 1984 – 85 as he failed to use the land within stipulated 3 years time from the date of lease.

No new leases have been contracted in respect of the said piece of land ever since.

Adjacent to the said land are registered and occupancy lands belonging to Tripura and Marma communities of Jaditung Para village.

Mohammad Shamshu, brother of ex chairman Rafiq, and Nuru, chairman of Harbang Union Council, are now trying to capture both ‘Khas’ land and lands belonging to the Jumma villagers.

Noliram Tripura, Karbari of Jaditung Para, said the Tripura and Marma communities have been living in Jaditung Para for 35 years. At present a total of nine Tripura families live in the village. Besides practicing jum cultivation, they have now taken to horticulture.

Asked about the capture of the land the lease of which was canceled, Phaitong Mouza headman Umra Mong said, “There is no more holding (rehabilitation holding) on that land, which means that there is no land for rehabilitation. Some of the lands have been parceled out to the subjects in return for ground rent to do Jum cultivation. And the rest of the land is, as per government rule, still lying `Khas’.”

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Source : chtnews.com

Long march against land acquisition in Ruma

THOUSANDS of Jumma people took part in a Long March to demand that the government scrape a plan to acquire 9,585 acres of land for the construction of military facilities in Ruma Upazila of Bandarban district.

The long-marchers traveled 37 kilometers on foot to reach Bandarban town. The Ruma Land Protection Committee organized the Long March, which began at 4am today from Ruma bazaar.

It reached Bandarban district headquarters at 4:30pm.

The marchers then held a protest rally in front of Bandarban Press Club.

Chaired by Lupru Marma, convener of Ruma Land Protection Committee, the rally was also addressed, among others, by Mongcha Ching Marma, Nunglai Pru Mro and Jumlian Bawm.

The speakers alleged that the government is in the process of acquiring 9,560 acres of land in three Mouzas of Galenga, Pantola and Sengum and another 25 acres in Poli Mouza for the purpose of constructing military facilities.

They said if the acquisition process is completed, thousands of Jumma villagers will be thrown out of their lands, resulting in a catastrophe the proportion of which can only be compared with the consequences of the Kaptai dam in 1960s.

Later, the marchers submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister through the Deputy Commissioner.

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Source : chtnews.com