Panchari Correspondent, CHT News
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
The Bangladesh Army has been accused of searching the homes of at least four villagers during an operation carried out in Panchari, Khagrachhari, between 3:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15.
The villagers who said their homes were searched are:
- Nabin Chakma (31), son of Dinendra Chakma, from Raj Kumar Para.
- Chogi Chakma (45), widow of the late Prabhat Chandra Chakma, from Raj Kumar Para.
- Sukanta Chakma (38), son of Hiradhan Chakma, from Raj Kumar Para. According to local sources, soldiers broke the lock on his front door, entered the house, searched the premises, and left clothes and other household belongings scattered.
- Jiko Chakma (32), son of Shanti Bikash Chakma, from Raj Kumar Para. He said soldiers questioned him about the whereabouts of UPDF members and asked why he was sheltering them. After he replied that no UPDF members lived in Raj Kumar Para, he alleged that the soldiers tried to take him into custody.
Local sources also reported that two other homes were searched during the operation, although the identities of those residents could not be confirmed.
Eyewitnesses said they saw two masked Indigenous men accompanying the soldiers.
According to local reports, shortly after 3:30 a.m., more than 100 soldiers from the Khagrachhari Brigade arrived in Panchari in a convoy of 10 vehicles and launched an operation in the Jubanashwa Para and Jagapara areas, reportedly targeting the UPDF. The operation lasted for several hours before the troops left the area at around 9:30 a.m. Local sources claimed that no illegal items were found during the searches.
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