On 22 September 2012 Bangladesh army backed Muslim settlers attacked indigenous Buddhist people in Rangamati. When the indigenous people counter attacked in self defence Bangladesh army took side with the Muslim settlers. 76 indigenous people were injured and numerous indigenous properties were destroyed. The Muslim settlers are attacking South Kalindipur area on 22nd September.

Bengali settlers attack indigenous Tripura villagers at Mirsarai in Chittagong district

In 3 separate incidents on 14, 16 and 17 August 2014, Muslim settlers attacked 3 indigenous Tripura villagers including a woman at Koila Barapara in Mirsarai of Chittagong district. 3 Tripura villagers were seriously injured in the attack. Muslim settlers attacked indigenous Tripura people to evict them from their ancestral land.

On 14 August 2014, Mohammad Zakir Hossain (50) son of Mohammad Bojler Rahman, of Koila Barapara assaulted Hiran Kumar Tripura (28) son of Samacharan Tripura of the same village in his shop with a bamboo club. The incident occurred because of a minor argument between Hiran Kumar and Zakir Hossain regarding football playing tricks.

On 16 August 2014 at 4:00 pm, as Paklati Tripura (50) went to Mohammad Zakir Hossain’s shop, Mohammad Zakir Hossain randomly beat her with one of his shoes and pushed her down from the top of a hill. Two days earlier Paklati Tripura borrowed a sum of BDT 1,000 from Zakir Hossain for the treatment of her daughter who had been suffering from epilepsy.

On 16 August, Zakir detained Paklati’s son Monoram Tripura at his shop and demanded BDT 5,000 instead of the borrowed amount of BDT 1,000. Monoram Tripura somehow managed to escape from and informed his mother about the incident.

Paklati then went to Zakir Hossain and requested more days to repay the money. After that Zakir Hossain rebuked her with obscene language, pulled her out of the shop, beat her with one of his shoes and pushed her from the hilltop. Paklati survived, but sufferred serious injury. Even though some other indigenous villagers witnessed the incident, they remained silent. They were fearful of being victimized similarly by the Muslim settlers. Paklati was taken to the hospital.

On 17 August 2014, Mohammad Zakir Hossain’s son Mohammad Shipan (30) assaulted Ratan Kumar Tripura (35) son of Hederam Tripura in similar way. On that day Ratan went to Mohammad Shipan’s shop to collect his daily work wages from Shipan. Instead of paying his daily wages, Shipan asked Ratan to pay for the goods Ratan bought from Shipan’s shop on credit. Then they involved in some minor arguments and at some point Mohammad Shipan assaulted Ratan with a stick and broke his left arm.

Muslim settlers were connected to land grabbing. Proper remedy was sought from the UNO (Upazila Nirbahi Officer) Mohammad Ashraf Hossain. But no action was taken by the civil administration. Instead Muslim settlers have continuously been threatening the Tripura villagers. As a result, the local Indigenous peoples have been passing their days in constant fear and insecurity.

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