On 05 July 2014 Bangladesh army backed Muslim settlers attacked CHT Commission motorcade in Rangamati. Muslim settlers have been protesting the visit of the commission members in Rangamati. 3 people including a member of CHT Commission and Officer-in-Charge (OC) of local police station were injured in this attack.

Bengali settlers attack members of CHT Commission in Rangamati

On 5 July 2014, Bangladesh army backed Muslim settlers attack members of the International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission (CHT Commission). Muslim settlers have been protesting the visit of the commission members in Rangamati. 3 people including a member of CHT Commission and Officer-in-Charge (OC) of local police station were injured in this attack.

2 cases were filed at Rangamati police station by coordinator of CHT Commission Hana Shams Ahmed on 7 July and by OC on 6 July 2014. However, nobody was arrested in this connection.

The CHT Commission is an independent organization and fully committed to constructive engagement with all stakeholders in Bangladesh. Its mandate is to promote respect for human rights, democracy, restoration of civil and political rights, participatory development, land rights in the Chittagong Hill Tracts including monitoring implementation process of the CHT Accord of 1997.

Muslim settlers protested the visit of CHT Commission, terming it controversial and questioning the impartiality of the commission. They alleged that the commission is instigating communal conflicts between Muslim settlers and indigenous peoples in the hills.

On 5 July around 10:00am, Muslim settlers put barricade on the main road leading towards Rangamati town when they came to know about the arrival of the commission members in the district.

Six organisations of Muslim settlers on 4 July 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. It is mentionable that, in their visit in Khagrachari district, the CHT Commission also faced the same situation created by the Muslim settlers.

In Rangamati, the CHT Commission team came under attack around 1:30 pm in front of the local DGFI office in Omda Miah Hill area while they were leaving Rangamati Parjaton Motel for Chittagong with police protection.

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. The microbus, carrying CHT Commission members were badly damaged.

According to the witnesses, the attack carried out by some 100-150 Muslim settlers led by Mr. Piar Ahmad of Somo Odhikar Andolon, Mr. Jalal Uddin Ahmed of Parbatya Gono Parishad, Mohammad Imran of Banglaee Chhatra Parishad, Ms. Noor Jahan Begum of Parbatya Nagorik Parshad, Mr. Ujjal Pal of Parbatya Bangalee Chhatra Oikya Parishad and Mohammad Hannan of Parbatya Juba Front.

Police fired three blank shots to disperse the attackers. No one was detained at that time. Immediately after the attack police took the CHT Commission members to the nearest Rangamati police station for security. Later one of the injured – Ilira Dewan was admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital for treatment. Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Superintendent of Police (SP) of Rangamati Mohammad Mostafa Kamal visited the spot learning the incident.

Different national and regional organizations condemned the heinous attack on the CHT Commission. They all condemned the “pre-planned” attack on CHT Commission members. They also expressed grievances since no one was arrested in connection with the incident. They alleged that this attack was committed by the vested elements who do not want to see implementation of the CHT Accord of 1997 and who want to fish in muddy water by making turmoil in CHT. They also said that this attack was not made possible without the blessing of vested interest groups of the government and state machineries.

The Member of the Parliament from Rangamati constituency, Mr. Ushatan Talukdar in a press statement condemned the attack and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits involved behind this brutal attack and examplary punishment to them.

At around 3:30 pm the CHT Commission team went to Chittagong with police escort and held a press conference at Chittagong Press Club. In the press conference co-chair of the CHT Commission Sultana Kamal and members of the Commission Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, Khushi Kabir, Barrister Sara Hossain, Dr. Swapan Adnan and other officials of CHT Commission were present.

Speaking in the conference Sultana Kamal alleged that the people who had been at risk of losing land occupied illegally might be behind the attack. The CHT Commission blamed six settler organizations of the CHT, which it said had been defying the conditions of the 1997 CHT Accord from the very beginning. The commission also pointed out one of the suspects Noor Jahan Begum, leader of Parbatya Nagorik Parishad, who led the protest in front of the Parjaton Motel in Rangamati.

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