Hill Voice, 4 March 2024, Rangamati: The Reformist armed terrorists supported by army are alleged to have been extorting money from local Jumma people in Longadu upazila under Ragnamati hill district.
According to local sources, a six-armed member collector group of the Reformist terrorists on March 3, 2024 held a meeting calling leaders from every village of Longadu upazila at Upazila Headman Association Office in Tintila area of Longadu upazila sadar at around 11 am. In the name of their (terrorists) special budget, every Jumma family in the upazila must pay Tk 1000 (one thousand) as extortion, they ordered at the meeting. According to that, they also disclosed the amount of money to pay imposed on every village and the village leader name who will take the extorted money to them.
Reportedly, the terrorists imposed Tk 2,70,000 on Karalyachari village, Tk 2,50,000 on Bame(left) Atarakchara village, Tk 2,50,000 on Sonai village, Tk 2,20,000 on Longadu Baradam, Tk 1,10,000 on Mahajan Para, Tk 1,10,000 on Manikjorchara, Tk 1,10,000 on Tintilya village, Tk 1,10,000 on Batyapara, Tk 2,10,000 on Rangapanichara village. At least Tk 1 lakh to 3 lakhs were pressed on the other villages in the upazila in accordingly.
The terrorists set 25 March 2024 as a time limit to collect the aforesaid extortion money imposed on each village.
Reportedly, Director of Finance Department of Longadu Upazila Jagadish Chakma, commander of armed terrorist group Milton Chakma, extortionists of Dangabazar and Karalyachari areas Jiban Chakma and Santu Chakma, president of Reformist Juba Samiti Inton Chakma and secretary Sugata Chakma were present on behalf of the reformist terrorists.
It is known that after the said meeting and imposition of extortion of money by the Reformists, there was widespread anxiety and anger among the common Jumma villagers.
Several villagers said on condition of anonymity, for the most of the families in the village, Tk 1000 is virtually equivalent to Tk I lakh. They have to struggle even to save Tk 1000. Moreover, they are frequently forced by the Reformists to pay extortion to them.
It is known that each village were forced to give taka one lakh/one and a half lakh/two lakh to reformist and UPDF democratic terrorists, in the last December 2023, just a couple of months ago.
The villagers said, this Falgun-Chaitra (March-April) month is the time of scarcity and hardship to the village people. It is time to cultivate the fringe land of Kaptai Dam. If they cannot produce crops by planting paddy seedlings during this time, they have to suffer whole the year round in hardship. So, at this time, demand for extortion is like breaking stone on their heads. It is needless to say, it is a great disturbance to the villagers.
