chtnews.com
News No. 148/2010, October 15, 2010
THE Jana Samhati Samiti (Santu Larma faction) has taken control of the terrorist Borkha Party operating in Laxmichari, Khagrachari.
The Borkha Party was created by Bangladesh Military in June – July last year to frustrate the government decision to withdraw parts of its troops from the area and to weaken UPDF in Laxmichari.
Former commander of Laxmichari zone, Lt. Col. Shariful Islam was personally involved in the creation of the group, which is responsible for the killing of UPDF leader Rui Khoi Marma and a series of kidnappings of innocent people.
The man who is now in charge of the group is an ex-UPDF member. He was expelled from the party in 2004 for embezzling party funds and violating party disciplines. His name is Anil Chakma, from Bormachari. He personally maintained contact with both Lt. Col. Shariful Islam and JSS president Santu Larma simultaneously.
Shariful was transferred from Laxmichari in April, and the Borkha Party found that the new zone commander is not as “magnanimous” as him.
In this context, the Santu group took full control of the Borkha Party with supplies of arms and money.
In the first week of August, the Borkha Party members led by Anil Chakma went to Bormachari to establish a base there.
But the people resisted them in an organized way, forcing them to retreat to Laxmichari. The people seized their personal belongings and other materials including diaries and notebooks.
The incident had a demoralizing impact on the Borkha Party and on 7 September two of its members – Samiron Chakma and Nilo Mohan Chakma – returned to normal life.
They described how often Lt. Col. Shariful Islam visited them in their dens and examined their guns.
They also said that Anil Chakma (code name Gautam) personally keeps regular contact with Santu Larma.
Recent action
After the Bormachari debacle, the Santu group reinforced the Borkhas with more sophisticated weapons and trained men.
Emboldened by this reinforcement, eight Borkha Party men led by Collins ambushed UPDF members in Morachengay area on 6 October. However, it was by sheer luck that all the UPDF members escaped unhurt.
The Borkhas are now staying in three places namely Sumur Para, Haichara and in Laxmichari Sadar near the house of ex Upazila chairman Dashrath Talukder.
Backing from local administration
The Borkhas get support from the local civil administration. After the killing of UPDF leader Rui Khoi Marma on 2 October 2009, a case was filed against some of the members of the Borkha Party.
But the police dropped their names from the charge sheet filed couples of months ago and instead inserted the names of 6 – 7 UPDF leaders including Ratan Basu Marma and Shukla Chakma.
Killing Mission “Kobra”
A personal diary of Anil Chakma alias Gautam amply proves Borkha Party’s involvement in the killing of UPDF leader Rui Khoi Marma.
The diary was seized by UPDF men during the Bormachari resistance on 6 August.
According this diary, the killing mission was codenamed “Kobra” and the “target point” was described as “Finishing Action”.
The mission was participated by Chokkapeda, Priti Bindu, Shyamol Kanti and Md. Ali, the notes in the diary says. [Md. Ali, also known as Belallya Bap, is a resident of Laxmichari 10 area]
It was also written down in the diary that the mission was 100 per cent successful.
According to Samiron and Nilo Mohan, the army was also involved in the killing of Rui Khoi Marma. They said that on the night of 1 October 2009, the army dropped the member of the killing mission near Bot-toli, where he was ambushed and killed.
Some failed missions
Despite the “success” of this killing mission, other missions of the Borkha Party met with abject failure.
On 27 March, the Borkhas went to Manikchari. The aim of this operation, codenamed “Sitakunda”, was to expand their base area.
On 6 April, they met with resistance and were forced to return to Laxmichari. The operation was led by Nirmol Kanti Chakma.
Their third action plan, codenamed “Black cat”, also met with failure, as stated above. It was aimed to expand what they termed “free area” in Bormachari.
The mission was led by Anil Chakma alias Gautam, and his second-in-command was Kolen Chakma.
A total of 13 Borkha Party members took part in the operation. The amount of weapons they employed was ten.
According to the said diary, they set out for Bormachari on 2 August and were forced to return on 6 August.
After this failure, the Santu group sent in more weapons and trained men to reinforce the Borkha Party. One of them has been identified as Kalyan.
Recent kidnappings
The Borkha Party has turned kidnappings for ransom into a lucrative business. Apart form collecting tolls in broad daylight under the nose of the police and army, they routinely abduct people for ransom to supplement their fund.
Their latest victim was Kalendra Chakma, a local Awami League leader, who was kidnapped on 6 August.
He had to pay Taka 28 thousand for his release. A few days before his abduction, another Jumma named Joti Chakma was kidnapped and released on payment of Taka five thousand. Joti is a village doctor.
He was followed by Anupom Chakma, a local leader of Democratic Youth Forum. It is not clear how much he had to pay to buy his freedom. Anupom was kidnapped twice by the same Borkha Party men in a short span of time.
Resistance
The Borkhas take orders directly from the army. Following the Sajek and Khagrachari settler attacks in February, UPDF organised a protest rally in Laxmichari.
The Borkha Party men attacked the rally, beating up its participants.
In order to resist the Borkha Party terrorists, a clandestine organisation named Borkha Party Resistance Committee was formed.
On 6 December last year, it issued a leaflet calling on the Borkha Party members to return to normal life. Since then, many of them have left the gang.
The people of Laxmichari were so fed up with their terrorist activities that in Bannyachola the Marma community organised themselves and drove the Borkhas out of their area. This happened some months ago.
People’s demand
The people of Laxmichari demand that the government takes steps to disband the Borkha Party terrorists and to bring those involved in the killing of Rui Khoi Marma to justice.
They also urged Santu Larma to stop patronizing the Borkha terrorists and expel Anil Chakma from JSS.
It is well known that Anil Chakma, who is currently leading the Borkha Party, has direct access to Santu Larma.
The people also think that the human rights organisations should intervene with Santu Larma to stop supporting armed terrorism of the Borkha Party.
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