Hill Voice, 14 August 2021, Rangamati: It has been alleged that a group of Bangladesh army picked up two members of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) from their homes at midnight from Chandraghona area of Kaptai Upazila under Rangamati Hill District. At the time of writing this report, it is not yet known where did the army take the two persons.

The two persons taken away by the army are- (1) Bikram Marma (56), son of Kalachan Marma and (2) Bira Sing Chakma (43), son of Genda Chakma. Bikram Marmar’s house is in the Christian Mission Hospital area of Chandraghona Union under Kaptai Upazila. He is the president of Kaptai Thanna Committee of PCJSS. However, he has been inactive for a long time. On the other hand, Bira Sing Chakma’s house is in Kushthipara village of Kadamtali union of Rangunia upazila. He is the president of Chandraghona Union Committee of PCJSS. That committee is also said to be inactive due to the on-going military atrocities.

According to local sources, a group of army personnel from Kaptai Island army camp under 23E Bengal Regiment of Kaptai army zone first picked up Bira Sing Chakma from his house at around 2:00 am on 14 August 2021. After that, at around 2.30 pm, the army personnel cordoned off the Christian Mission Hospital area in Chandraghona and searched Bikram Marma’s house and took him away.

It is learnt that Bikram Marma was once apprehended by the Bangladesh army during the state of emergency in 2007 and later handed over to the police entangling in a false charge. Despite being released on bail after years of imprisonment, Bikram Marma remains almost inactive in political activities due to physical problems caused by military torture while in custody and family problems.

As of the writing of this report, the army has not yet handed over to the police as per the rules. The whereabouts of the two detainees have not been known.

Meanwhile, their families are said to be deeply concerned over the army’s abduction of Bikram Marma and Chakma in this manner.