Khagrachhari Correspondent, CHT News
Thursday, July 23, 2026
Members of the Bangladesh Army allegedly conducted a late-night search at the home of a UPDF organizer in Khagrachhari and attempted to detain his teenage son before local residents intervened, according to family members and local sources.
The incident reportedly took place at around 3:00 a.m. Thursday, July 23, in Rabijoy Para of Bhaibonchhara Union under Khagrachhari Sadar Upazila.
Local sources said a team of soldiers from the Dewan Para Sub-Zone entered the village and searched the home of Sumen Chakma, 56, an organizer of the Khagrachhari Sadar unit of the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF).
Family members alleged that the soldiers searched every room of the house in their presence and left furniture and household belongings scattered during the operation. They also claimed that women and children inside the home were intimidated throughout the search.
According to the family, the soldiers did not recover any illegal items. However, as they were leaving, they allegedly tried to take Sumen Chakma’s 16-year-old son, Prabharan Chakma, a 10th-grade student, into custody and transport him to the military camp.
Residents said women from Rabijoy Para and the nearby Shiv Mandir area quickly gathered and protested the detention, forcing the soldiers to release the teenager before leaving the village.
The reported operation has triggered concern among local residents, who say late-night military searches and alleged harassment have heightened fear and uncertainty within the community.
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