23 abandoned CHT army camps grabbed by ‘local political groups’

After 21 years of the signing of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord, the local political groups, especially the United Peoples Democratic Front (UPDF), have grabbed some 23 out of a total of 240 army camps from where troops have been withdrawn so far. Most of the withdrawn army camps are situated in remote areas, especially on the top of different hills, in the three hill districts—Rangamati, Khagrachhari and the Bandarban—say sources in the hill districts’ administration.

In the name of establishing places of worship like Buddhist and Hindu temples, the local political groups—UPDF and Parbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS) and PCJSS (reformist)—are grabbing the abandoned army camps to conduct their activities and monitoring the activities of local law enforcement agencies with a view to committing various criminal activities in the hills, the sources added.

When this correspondent visited one abandoned army camp at Madhympara in Devtapukur of Mahalchhari area, in Khagrachhari district, the local people said UPDF men had grabbed the camp site and forced them to build a temple of Laxmi-Narayana so that the UPDF could carry on their activities there.

Headman of the area, Khetro Mohan Rowaja, told The Independent that the people helping the local Tripura community lived in Guimara upazila and were against the peace accord. “We met them several times, asking them to remove the tin-shed house, locally known as temple. They agreed to remove it and we gave them money for this, but they are yet to remove it,” he said.

“There are only 10 families belonging to the Tripura community in the remote Madhympara in Devtapukur area. There is a Shiva temple next to a big pond name ‘Devtapukur’ within the 200 metres of the tin-shed house. So there was no need to establish another temple for the Tripura community,” Khetro Mohan Rowaja said.

During a visit to the area, this correspondent saw that ‘miscreants’ had broken the signboard of the Bangladesh Army.

Talking to this correspondent, Khalifa Tripura, a dweller of Madhympara in Devtapukur area, said that a number of people with arms came at night and even during the day. But they did not know them, as they were not the residents of that area.

“We can’t say anything as they are very powerful,” he said.

Officer-in-charge (OC) of Khagrachhari Sadar Police Station Shahadat Hossain Titu said that they saw a number of suspected terrorists wearing combat uniform on the hills, when officials of the local administration visited the place.

“We are sure that the UPDF people have established a number of camps on

the hills and committing various crimes in the area,” he said.

When contacted, deputy commissioner (DC) of Khagrachhari district, Md Shahidul Islam, told The Independent that they had not allocated any abandoned army camps to anybody.

“Some notorious people have grabbed some abandoned army camps in the name of establishing places of worship of the ethnic minority Buddhist and Hindu communities in the hills,” he said. He feared they would try to create trouble in the hills if the district administration and the members of the Bangladesh Army tried to break the house known as a temple.

“We cannot say they are UPDF men as we are working here. We can say that the people who grabbed the abandoned camp belong to a local notorious group,” he added.

The DC informed that those people grabbed the abandoned camps to monitor the activities of the local law enforcement agencies and the Bangladesh Army from a high position. “We cannot let them do this. We will keep the hill under the district administration at any cost in national interest,” the DC said.

Like the abandoned army camp of Madhympara in Devtapukur area, the local political groups established various places of worship, especially Buddhist temples in Dudayakhola camp in Laxmichhari, Dhonpatachhara in Dighinala zone, Korollyachhari in Mohalchhari, Banchhara in Dighinala, Pomangpara in Dighinala, Babuchhara bazaar in Dighinala, Shilachharipara in Laxmichhari zone, Kukichhara in Matiranga and Tindukchhari in Shindukchhari.

UPDF spokesman Niran Chakma told The Independent that it was their matter to decide where they would build places of worship or schools in the hill areas, as the hills belonged to hill people.

“The local people in the hills were building places of worship for their prayer and it is within their right,” he said.

Niran Chakma denied that they were grabbing the abandoned military camps. At present, there are four local political parties—Parbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS), PCJSS (reformist), the United Peoples Democratic Front (UPDF) and UPDF (democratic)—in the region.

They are now busy fighting each other for establishing supremacy in their respective areas and also committing various crimes like abduction and collecting tolls from the local people illegally.

 

23 abandoned CHT army camps grabbed by local political groups

After 21 years of the signing of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord, the local political groups, especially the United Peoples Democratic Front (UPDF), have grabbed some 23 out of a total of 240 army camps from where troops have been withdrawn so far. Most of the withdrawn army camps are situated in remote areas, especially on the top of different hills, in the three hill districtsRangamati, Khagrachhari and the Bandarbansay sources in the hill districts administration. In the name of establishing places of worship like Buddhist and Hindu temples, the local political groupsUPDF and Parbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS) and PCJSS (reformist)are grabbing the abandoned army camps to conduct their activities and monitoring the activities of local law enforcement agencies with a view to committing various criminal activities in the hills, the sources added. When this correspondent visited one abandoned army camp at Madhympara in Devtapukur of Mahalchhari area, in Khagrachhari district, the local people said UPDF men had grabbed the camp site and forced them to build a temple of Laxmi-Narayana so that the UPDF could carry on their activities there. Headman of the area, Khetro Mohan Rowaja, told The Independent that the people helping the local Tripura community lived in Guimara upazila and were against the peace accord. We met them several times, asking them to remove the tin-shed house, locally known as temple. They agreed to remove it and we gave them money for this, but they are yet to remove it, he said. There are only 10 families belonging to the Tripura community in the remote Madhympara in Devtapukur area. There is a Shiva temple next to a big pond name Devtapukur within the 200 metres of the tin-shed house. So there was no need to establish another temple for the Tripura community, Khetro Mohan Rowaja said. During a visit to the area, this correspondent saw that miscreants had broken the signboard of the Bangladesh Army. Talking to this correspondent, Khalifa Tripura, a dweller of Madhympara in Devtapukur area, said that a number of people with arms came at night and even during the day. But they did not know them, as they were not the residents of that area. We cant say anything as they are very powerful, he said. Officer-in-charge (OC) of Khagrachhari Sadar Police Station Shahadat Hossain Titu said that they saw a number of suspected terrorists wearing combat uniform on the hills, when officials of the local administration visited the place. We are sure that the UPDF people have established a number of camps on the hills and committing various crimes in the area, he said. When contacted, deputy commissioner (DC) of Khagrachhari district, Md Shahidul Islam, told The Independent that they had not allocated any abandoned army camps to anybody. Some notorious people have grabbed some abandoned army camps in the name of establishing places of worship of the ethnic minority Buddhist and Hindu communities in the hills, he said. He feared they would try to create trouble in the hills if the district administration and the members of the Bangladesh Army tried to break the house known as a temple. We cannot say they are UPDF men as we are working here. We can say that the people who grabbed the abandoned camp belong to a local notorious group, he added. The DC informed that those people grabbed the abandoned camps to monitor the activities of the local law enforcement agencies and the Bangladesh Army from a high position. We cannot let them do this. We will keep the hill under the district administration at any cost in national interest, the DC said. Like the abandoned army camp of Madhympara in Devtapukur area, the local political groups established various places of worship, especially Buddhist temples in Dudayakhola camp in Laxmichhari, Dhonpatachhara in Dighinala zone, Korollyachhari in Mohalchhari, Banchhara in Dighinala, Pomangpara in Dighinala, Babuchhara bazaar in Dighinala, Shilachharipara in Laxmichhari zone, Kukichhara in Matiranga and Tindukchhari in Shindukchhari. UPDF spokesman Niran Chakma told The Independent that it was their matter to decide where they would build places of worship or schools in the hill areas, as the hills belonged to hill people. The local people in the hills were building places of worship for their prayer and it is within their right, he said. Niran Chakma denied that they were grabbing the abandoned military camps. At present, there are four local political partiesParbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS), PCJSS (reformist), the United Peoples Democratic Front (UPDF) and UPDF (democratic)in the region. They are now busy fighting each other for establishing supremacy in their respective areas and also committing various crimes like abduction and collecting tolls from the local people illegally.