Hill Voice, 01 November 2022, Bandarban: Five Human Rights organizations have issued legal notice to ensure all the legal and customary rights of the Mro and Tripura communities living in the area, including water, land and cultivation, based on setting fire on Jum farms in Sarai Union in Lama Upazila under Bandarban. This notice has been issued to 16 officials including three secretaries, Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police in Bandarban.
Supreme Court lawyer S Hasanul Banna sent the notice by post on Monday on behalf of human rights organizations- Bangladesh Environment Lawyer Association (BELA), Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum, Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD) and Nijera Kori.
The recipients of the notice are – Secretary of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs, Secretary of the Ministry of Lands, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Chief Conservator of Forest, Director General of the Directorate of Environment, Chairman of Bangladesh Rubber Board, Chittagong Divisional Commissioner, Bandarban Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police, Chairman of Bandarban Hill District Council, Divisional Forest Officer, Lama Upazila Parishad, Chairman of Upazila Executive Officer, Chittagong Deputy Director of Bangladesh Rubber Board, Officer-in-Charge of Lama Police Station and Managing Director of Lama Rubber Industries Limited.
Lawyer Hasanul Banna said, in addition to the cancellation of the lease given in favor of Lama Rubber Industries Limited,
The notice demanded assessment of the actual damage to crops, water sources of Mro and Tripura indigenous people in Langkom, Joy Chandra Karbari and Rengyen Karbari paras of Sarai Union and realisation of compensation from the Rubber Industries. The notice has also asked for withdrawal of false cases against the locals. Action is requested to be taken in this regard within seven days of receiving the notice. Otherwise legal action will be taken against those noticees.
