Longadu Correspondent, CHT News
Saturday, 3 January 2026
Members of the JSS (Santu Group) are allegedly conspiring with settlers to evict 35–40 hill indigenous families from Barakalak village under Kattali Mouza in Longadu upazila of Rangamati.
Although these families have been living there for the past 50 years, the JSS (Santu Group) claims that the land belongs to settlers. However, one settler himself has informed the hill landowners that the land does not belong to them.
It is reported that about a month ago, the local commander of the JSS (Santu Group), Dipto Chakma, called a meeting of the residents of Barakalak village. He told them, “You are living on Bengali (settler) land. Therefore, if you want to stay, each family must pay Taka 50,000. Otherwise, the Bengalis will take over your lands.”
After that meeting, another member of the JSS (Santu Group) named Hanis, a local resident, continuously pressured and threatened the villagers to collect the imposed money. However, since the land is under their possession, the villagers refused to pay.
In this context, 10–12 days ago, armed commander Dipto Chakma again called the villagers to a meeting and this time demanded taka 47,000 per family instead of 50,000. He also threatened that those who would not pay would have to leave their land. Even so, no family has paid the money so far.
The total area of land from which the hill families are being threatened with eviction is approximately 70 acres. A resident of the village told CHT News over the phone that, in reality, the Bengalis themselves are unaware that they have any land in Barakalak. “In fact,” he said, “the Santu Group is trying to extort money from us by intimidating the settlers.”
He further stated that one or two settlers are also involved in this conspiracy, saying, “Members of the Santu Group are having those settlers make phone calls to threaten the hill villagers with seizure of their lands.”
The villagers are unable to accept this anti-people and disgraceful role of the Santu Group, but out of fear they are also unable to speak out against it. Caught in this dual crisis, they are now passing their days in utter helplessness.
Expressing his anguish to CHT News, one villager said, “Those who are supposed to protect us—if they destroy us, then there is no way left to survive. I am shocked to even think that members of the JSS Santu Group could engage in such filthy acts.”
———
