chtnews.com
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
AT LEAST 18 Jumma villagers including 15 women have been injured in Babuchara, Dighinala Upazila when Border Guards Bangladesh personnel clubbed them with wood sticks and rifle butts.
The injured have been admitted to Dighinala Health Complex and Khagrachari Sadar hospital.
According to eyewitnesses’ accounts, the incident took place at 5:30pm on Tuesday when women from the village of Jatna Mohan Karbari Para went to their lands adjacent to the village to plant banana saplings.
The BGB personnel, who have been occupying the villager’s land, prevented them from doing so. When they protested, the BGB men let loose the Bengali settlers on them.
This resulted in increased tension between the two sides, with Jummas trying to defend themselves.
After the settlers had failed to make headway in their attacks, the BGB and police personnel swooped on the Jumma villagers, beating each and everyone with clubs and rifle butts.
The police also fired tear gas and live bullets at the Jummas, wounding 18 people including women and a village chief.
Four of the critically injured women have been shifted from Dighinala Health complex to Khagrachari Sadar hospital.
The injured have been identified as Sangha Devi Chakma, 45, wife of Surjoy Chakma of village Jatna Mohan Karbari Para, Apsori Chakma, 16, daughter of Sukhomoy Chakma of village Middle Baghaichari, Surovi Chakma, 40, wife of Shukro Mohan Chakma of village Jatna Mohan Karbari Para, Phulo Rani Chakma, 45, wife of Shneha Kumar Chakma of village Jatna Mohan Karbari Para, Modhurika Chakma, 30, daughter of Noaram Chakma of Middle Baghaichari, Ananda Bala Chakma, 55, wife of late Kamal Kumar Chakma, Sontosh Kumar Karbari, 75, son of late Shashi Mohan Karbari of village Shashi Mohan Karbari Para, Sona Devi Chakma, 40, wife of Surjoay Chakma of village Jatna Mohan Karbari Para, Kamala Ranjan Chakma, 32, son of Surjoy Chakma of village Jatna Mohan Karbari Para, Chaheli Chakma 25, wife of Kamala Ranjan Chakma, Pradeep Chakma, 65, son of late Bhagaban Chandra Chakma of village Jatna Mohan Karbari Para, Maya Rani Chakma, 55, wife of Pradeep Chakma, Sadhan Devi Chakma, 60, wife of Mangal Chakma, Suborna Chakma, 26, wife of Shyamol Chakma of village Jatna Mohan Karbari Para, Shyamolika Chakma, 35, wife of Bini Mohan Chakma of village Jatna Mohan Karbari Para, Gopa Chakma, 40, wife of Shubho Moy Chakma, Permodini Chakma, 70, wife of late Priyo Ranjan Chakma of village Jatna Mohan Karbari Para and Jharna Chakma, 35, wife of Dharma Ratan Chakma of village Jatna Mohan Karbari Para.
The critically injured women shifted to Khagrachari Sadar hospital are Apsori Chakma, Phulo Rani Chakma, Maya Rani Chakma and Gopa Chakma.
The villagers had been opposing the occupation of their land in Jatna Mohan Karbari Para by BGB, who have a plan to build a battalion headquarters on it.
On the night of 14 May, the BGB set up a number of tents after occupying the land, although the high court in 2005 issued a rule ordering status quo to be maintained until the case is settled.
After the BGB occupied the land violating the high court order, the owners of the land filed a contempt of court case in the high court in Dhaka.
The people of Dighinala have been opposing the setting up of the BGB’s 51th battalion headquarters in Babuchara, arguing that it would displace a number of Jumma villagers.
In protest against the BGB move, the people staged human chain and sit-in programmes and submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister.
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News No. 24/2014
