Hill Voice, 19 January 2026, Bandarban: It has been reported that yesterday, Saturday (17 January), Rohingyas and settler Bengalis jointly carried out two rounds of attacks on the Mro people at the western side of the school in Janali Para of Ward No. 9 under Noyapara union of Alikadam upazila of Bandarban district. At least 14 people were injured and 3 who were critically wounded.

The injured individuals are: 1) Longsan Mro (30), S/O Pacco Mro, Karbari; 2) Aungsong Mro (30), S/O Kotngang Mro; 3) Kotngang Mro (50), S/O Kai In Mro; 4) Langching Mro; 5) Kainpa Mro; 6) Nganoai Mro (27), S/O DongRui Mro; 7) Menru Mro (40), S/O Khain Doi Mro; 8) Thongiya Mro; 9) Chingiyak Mro; 10) Bangtak Mro; 11) Kangwai Mro; 12) Shantoi Mro; 13) Dhangroi Mro; 14) Langching Mro (30), S/O Mopom Mro.

The critically injured are: 1) Amar Tripura (50), S/O Naya Chandra Tripura; 2) Dangya Mro (52), S/O Mensa Mro; 3) Prekikya Mro (26), S/O Mangin Mro.

According to information provided by villagers, the accused, Zafar Alam (45), S/O Faridul Islam, a resident of Ward No. 5 under Noyapara Union is reportedly a Rohingya refugee. It is alleged that multiple theft cases have been filed against him with Alikadam Police Station and that he has previously served jail sentences in those cases. There are also allegations that, with the assistance of certain officials in the administration, he has obtained Bangladeshi citizenship and been included in the voter list.

It has been reported that for a long time, the accused had been stealing bananas from banana plantations cultivated by the residents of the Mro para, as well as cattle, goats, various crops from plantations, and poultry from farms. Later, yesterday, Saturday (17 January), at around 9:00 a.m., local residents caught Zafar Alam red-handed while he was stealing four bunches of bananas from a banana plantation belonging to Longsan Mro (30), S/O Pacco Mro, the karbari of Janali Para. The villagers restrained him and informed the chairman of Noyapara Union, Phogya Marma, about the incident. On behalf of the chairman, instructions were given to keep the accused Zafar Alam in the para along with the stolen banana bunches. However, before the chairman could arrive at the scene, at around 10:00 a.m., Zafar Alam’s son Mofiz Uddin (25), along with Zia Uddin (21) and 10–12 Rohingyas and Bengali settlers, attacked the house of Longsan Mro. When villagers attempted to resist, Prekikya Mro (26) and Aungsang Mro (30) were brutally assaulted, sustaining injuries to the upper part of the left eye, face, chest, and back.

At one point, the Rohingyas and settlers forcibly took Zafar Alam away in a violent manner. The injured Prekikya Mro and Aungsang Mro were then taken by villagers to Alikadam Government Hospital for treatment.

Following the incident, Rohingyas and settlers reportedly issued death threats against Longsan Mro and other villagers. Fearing for their safety, the Mro indigenous residents of Janali Para informed the local union chairman and other respected community members and filed a case with Alikadam Police Station. Later, at around 11:00 a.m., after Officer-in-Charge Alamgir Hossain of Alikadam Police Station assured the villagers of cooperation, they returned to their village.

Later, at around 5:00 p.m., villagers received a phone call from Alikadam Police Station asking them to come to the station. When they arrived, the Officer-in-Charge informed them that the call had been made by mistake.

Subsequently, at approximately 7:00 p.m., while the villagers were returning to their village from the police station in two tomtom vehicles, they reached the area near the Noyapara graveyard. At that point, more than 25–30 Bengali settlers and Rohingya refugees blocked the road and launched a sudden attack on them using sharp machetes, iron rods, knives, and sticks. As a result, among the 18 people traveling in the tomtom vehicles, 8 were seriously injured.

Later, Longsan Mro, Amar Tripura, Daiya Mro, Prekikya Mro, Aungsang Mro, Kotngang Mro, Langching Mro, Kainpa Mro, Nganwai Mro, Menru Mro, Thongiya Mro, Chingiyak Mro, Bangtak Mro, Kangwai Mro, Shantoi Mro, and Dhorei Mro, among others, were taken to Alikadam Government Hospital in an injured condition. Due to the critical condition of Dangya Mro, Amar Tripura, and Prekikya Mro, they were immediately referred to Cox’s Bazar Medical College Hospital.

It has been reported that the Bengal settlers and Rohingya attackers forcibly took four mobile phones from the Mro indigenous people, along with cash amounts of 20,000 taka (twenty thousand) from Dangya Mro, 8,000 taka (eight thousand) from Amar Tripura, and 7,000 taka (seven thousand) from Kotngang Mro.

At that time, Longsan Mro filed a case with Alikadam Police Station as the complainant, naming 10 accused persons and mentioning 7–8 unidentified individuals.

The accused are: 1) Zafar Alam (45), S/O Faridul Islam; 2) Mofiz Uddin (25); 3) Zia Uddin (21), both S/O Zafar Alam; 4) Ali Madan (40), father unknown; 5) Riaz Uddin (38), S/O Moulovi Abu Taiyab; 6) Md. Jahir (20); 7) Md. Mubin (22), both S/O Md. Siraj, residents of South Noyapara, Ward No. 6; 8) Md. Iskandar (38); 9) Rezaul Karim (32), both S/O Faridul Alam; 10) Rahima Khatun (30), wife of Iskandar.