Hill Voice, 16 April 2026, Rangamati: Last Monday (13 April), while going to celebrate Biju festival in Ghagra Bazar area of ​​Kaukhali upazila under Rangamati district, at approximately 2 pm, Jumma youths, when they protested against claiming excess fare by a Bengali CNG driver, on their way to Champatali from Ghagra Bazar, were reportedly beaten up by Bengali settler CNG drivers who were stationed there. At least 20 people were reportedly injured in the incident.

According to sources, on that day, while at least 15 Jumma youths and their some Bengali friends from Dhaka were on their way to the Biju festival from Ghagra, a Bengali settler CNG driver stationed at Ghagra market demanded a fare of 200 taka instead of 50 taka. Later, when the Jumma youths protested, at one point the Bengali settler laid his hands on a Jumma youth. Later, when the Jumma youths protested strongly, within a moment, other Bengali settler CNG drivers and shopkeepers in the Ghagra area gathered and attacked the Jumma youths one after another with sticks, bricks and stones. Later, the Bengali settlers also beat up the Jummas there. In this, the Jumma villagers gathered around Champatali village and tried to prevent the attack by the Bengali settlers. Which at one point turned into a communal attack.

It is also known that three army patrol vehicles stopped at the scene at the request of the settlers. Later, while the army personnel were supposed to bring the situation under control, the Bengali settlers took advantage of the army’s presence and attacked the Jummas. Later, when the Jummas went to ask for help from the army in a bloody state, one of their members said – ‘This is not our responsibility.’

At least 20 others, including Saikat Chakma, Joy Chakma, Sujoy Chakma, Ripen Chakma, Angel Chakma, Aninda Chakma, were reportedly injured in the incident. Shyamal Chakma, Bhavesh Chakma, Purnamoy Khisa, Shaharik Istiq Raj, Adnan Shakib, Zarin Tasnim Saika, Ibna Jihad Fiham were reported to have been seriously injured in the incident.

It is worth noting that Shaharik Istiq Raj, Adnan Shakib, Zarin Tasnim Saika, and Ibna Jihad Fiham, who are studying Media and Journalism at ULAB (University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh), went there for their research on the Jumma festivals ‘Biju, Sangrai, Boisu, Bishu, Bihu, Changkran, Sangrai, Sangraing, Changlan, Pata festival’.

In this incident, local Jummas claim that such a heinous incident is a conspiracy to deliberately sabotage the main social and national festival of the Jumma people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.