Hill Voice, 17 September 2022, Bandarban: In favour of the land grabber company ‘Lama Rubber Industries Ltd.’ in Sarai Union of Lama Upazila of Bandarban, the ultra-communal organization of Bengali Muslim settlers, Parbatya Chattagram Nagarik Parishad, blockaded the road at the entrance of Sarai Union at Hasnapara and Keyazupara Bazar.

There has been strong anger and resentment among the local residents against this heinous program of the Nagorik Parishad by creating communal tension in favor of land grabbing by the Lama Rubber Industries Ltd. and causing suffering to public life.

According to local sources, today Saturday (September 17) from 7:00 am to afternoon, at the entrance of Sarai Union of Lama in Hasnapara and Keajupara Bazar, more than two hundred Bengali Muslim Settlers took a stand in favor of Lama Rubber Industry Ltd. under the banner of Bhumi Unnayan Odhikar Raksha Sangram Parishad at the initiative of the Parbatya Chattagram Nagorik Parishad.

The army-backed Parbatya Chattagram Nagorik Parishad made propaganda that on Saturday, September 17, a team of eminent citizens and human rights activists from Dhaka, at the initiative of the International CHT Commission, is coming to visit to Lama aimed at instigating indigenous people against the encroachment of land of local Mro and Tripura people and the spraying of pesticides in hill streams by Lama Rubber Industries Ltd. in Doluchari Mouza of Sarai Union.

Among the delegation of civil society, the former adviser of the caretaker government and prominent human rights activist Sultana Kamal, dean of the Social Sciences Faculty of Dhaka University, Sadeka Halim, professor of the Department of History Dr. Mesbah Kamal and Professor Robayet Ferdous of the Mass Communication and Journalism Department are widely publicized.

It was also publicized that the CHT Commission team could not enter Lama in Bandarban due to the obstruction of Sarai-Duluchari Bhumi Unnayan Raksha Sangram Parishad led by the initiative of CHT Nagorik Parishad.

The settler leaders claimed by raising communal sentiment and that “a gang supported by tribal terrorists led by JSS is illegally establishing a school on the rubber plantation site of Lama Rubber Company. The delegation of CHT Commission is coming to visit Sarai area to support that illegal oppressive activity.” Abdul Ghafur, Kalu Member and some communal persons spoke at the protest meeting under the chairmanship of Md. Nuru Mia, convener of so-called Bhumi Unnayan Odhikar Raksha Sangram Parishad at Kayajupara intersection.

But no such truth was found in the Hill Voice’s inquiry that any such citizen delegation from Dhaka was coming to visit Lama Sarai Union on the initiative of CHT Commission. However, an initiative has been taken to establish a school in Sarai Union by the initiative of the local indigenous Jumma people for the Mro and Tripura people who are deprived of education, health care and development. Various education-loving individuals of the country have extended their support to the establishment of the said school.

In fact, with the aim of diverting expropriation of 400 acres of land and setting on fire by Lama Rubber Industries Ltd. in Langkam Mro Para, Jayachandra Tripura and Rengen Mro Karbari Para of Mro and Tripura communities in Doluchhari Mouza of Sarai Union on 9 April 2022 and the horrendous incident of poisoning the source of water on 6 September 2022 to kill the Mro villagers, the unltra-Bengali nationalist and communal organization CHT Nagorik Parishad called the road blockade with the patronization of the army and the ruling Awami League and with the support of the Lama Rubber Industry Ltd. on the fictitious pretext that the delegation of the CHT Commission was visiting Lama.

Due to this, people traveling in vehicles and on roads have to suffer a lot. There has been a lot of anger against the Nagorik Parishad in the area. On the other hand, no action has been taken by the administration against blocking the roads by creating such communal tension, which has caused great concern in the public mind.

In this way today, with the help of the army and the ruling group, since its birth in December 2019 the CHT Nagork Parishad has been carrying out activities against the implementation of the CHT Accord, including the settlement of disputes of the CHT Land Commission in one hand, and on the other hand, in favor of the anti-humanitarian activities, such as, land grabbing, communal attacks, violence against Jumma women, infiltration of outsider, etc.