Hill Voice, 25 February 2023, Khagrachari: The army have claimed that 5 terrorists of Mog Party have been arrested from Battali area of Kanchannagar Union of Fatikchari Upazila of Chittagong District, bordering to Manikchari Upazila of Khagrachari District.

It is to be noted that Mog Party is one of armed terrorist groups supported and sheltered by the army and the local Awami League leadership. This has raised many questions among the local residents as to why the army itself arrested members of armed terrorist groups that are being supported and fostered by them.

According to local sources, due to the inability of the army-backed UPDF (Democratic) and Reformist terrorist group (JSS-MN Larma) to carry out terrorist activities including murder-kidnapping-ransom extortion in accordance with the army’s agenda in Manikchari-Lakshmichari-Matiranga-Guimara area, the Guimara region authority of the army and the local leadership of the ruling Awami League of Manikchari have brought a group of armed terrorists of Mog Party with 7 firearms from Rajasthali to Manikchari and deployed them at Hatimura area of Manikchari.

After taking up position in Manikchari, the Mog Party terrorists confronted with UPDF terrorists in Gariachari area of Sindukchari union while carrying out extortion and terrorist activities. It is reported that an armed conflict took place between UPDF and Mog Party terrorists on January 19, 2023, centering extortion and dominance in the area. It is learnt that Mog Party terrorists suffered heavy losses in this clash.

Later, Mog Party terrorists secretly left the place without informing the army. Then with the help of the leaders of Marma Oikya Parishad, the terrorists of Mog Party took refuge with UPDF (Democratic) terrorists and stayed in the house of Md. Ramzan Ali, a resident of Battali area of Fatikchari.

In this situation yesterday Friday (February 24) a group of army from the Sindukchari zone under Guimara Region conducted a raid and apprehended Md. Ramzan Ali, a resident of Battali area, along with 8 terrorists of UPDF (Democratic) and Mog Party from the house of Md Ramzan Ali, and took them to Naya Bazar army camp.

After interrogation of the 8 arrested, the army released three including Ramzan Ali and two UPDF (Democratic) terrorists. The remaining 5 persons were shown arrested and presented to the media by the army and claimed them as Mog Party members.

Many locals have expressed their opinion that it is not yet clear what the army’s conspiracy is behind showing the arrest of the alleged Mog Party terrorists. Many questions were raised among the local people as to what was the army’s purpose of arresting the Mog Party terrorists who were brought from Rajasthali to Manikchari by the initiative of army itself.

Many believe that the army became angry with the Mog Party terrorists for fleeing to Battali in Fatikchari without the army’s knowledge due to a conflict with the UPDF over extortion and dominance in the area. As a result of this, the army is not able to fulfill the purpose for which the Mog Party terrorists have been deployed in Manikchari. For this reason, the army amy arrest them, many locals suspected.

On the other hand, many people are of the opibion that Mog Party terrorists have become victims of the army’s promotion trade. If terrorist(s) can be arrested in an operation, the army officers and soldiers participating in the operation are easily get promotion. Therefore, many local people expressed the opinion that the army of Guimara Region and Sindhukchari zone may have arrested the Mog Party members for the vested interest of gaining promotion.

It is to be noted that on Saturday (February 25) at 12:30 noon, the arrested Mog Party terrorists were brought to the Manikchari army camp and presented to the media along with the recovered weapons. However, mysteriously, the army did not provide the names, addresses and identity of Mog Party terrorists. Sindukchari Zone Commander Lieutenant Colonel Syed Parvez Mustafa did not agree to give details on this matter. From this, it can be understood that the army have some other vested purpose or conspiracy behind the arrest of Mog Party terrorists.

Although the army have kept the names of the arrested Mog Party terrorists secret, the names of three have been obtained from local sources. They are Pradip Marma (26), son of late Aprusi Marma, Ushajai Marma (19), son of Kaching Marma and Chahla Marma (24), son of Kankya Marma of Dajya Para in Manikchari. The names of the remaining two are yet to be found.

It is worthy to be mentioned that the army, DGFI and local leadership of ruling Awami League have been providing shelter and support to various armed terrorist groups including the Mog Party, in order to undermine the process of implementation of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Accord of 1997, to create armed groups and to deploy them against ongoing movement for implementation of the CHT Accord and self-determination of Jumma peoples, above all, with the intention of justifying the presence of the army in CHT by showing the presence of armed groups.