Hill Voice, 31 March 2023, Bandarban: While seeking bail in the Bandarban District Magistrate Court in a false case filed by Lama Rubber Industries Ltd in Lama Upazila of Bandarban district, the court has sent Karbari and Lama Sarai Bhumi Raksha Sangram Committee’s Member Secretary Langkom Mro to jail.

According to local sources, yesterday (March 30, 2023), 8 persons, including Langkom Mro, Rangdhajan Tripura, Rengyen Mro, Ringrong Mro, Duithong Mro, appeared in the Bandarban District Magistrate Court for bail. At the end of the hearing of the case, the judge of the court, Nazmul Hossain, granted bail to 7 people including Rangdhajan Tripura, but refused the bail of Langkom Mro and ordered to send Langkom Mro to jail.

The victim Mro and Tripura villagers are said to have expressed their concern and frustration over the role of the court as the victim of a false case, Langkom Mro who wanted to protect his land from a land-grabbing rubber company, was instead sent to jail without bail.

Earlier, on March 1, 2023, the police arrested Mothi Tripura, one of the organizers of Bhumi Raksha Sangram Committee, in the said case. Mothi Tripura was released on bail on March 27, 2023 after serving 26 days of imprisonment.

It should be noted that on March 1, 2023, Abdul Malek, the assistant manager of Lama Rubber Industries, filed a false and conspiracy case in the name of 12 people with the Lama Police Station. Yesterday, 8 people including Langkom Mro went to the court to seek bail in the said case.

It may also be noted that earlier, Lama Rubber Company filed suit and harassment case against 11 indigenous villagers on 14th August 2022 and indigenous villagers on 4th September 2022.

On January 7, 2023, Langkom Mro Karbari filed a case mentioning names of 9 people including Abdul Malek, assistant manager of Lama Rubber Industries, and against 150-170 unidentified people with the Lama Police Station over vandalism of houses, looting and arson by attacking on Langkom Mro Karbari Para on 1 January 2023 by Lama Rubber Company. Instead of taking any action against the accused persons in the said case, the magistrate court sent Langkom Mro to jail on March 30 in a false case filed by Lama Rubber Company.

In April 2022, after burning 400 acres of jum land, plantations and village forests of three Mros and Tripura villages of Lama Sarai Union, Lama Rubber Company have committed more than a dozen times of attacking, vandalizing of houses, attempt to kill villagers by pouring poison into water sources, filing false cases, land grabbing etc.