Hill Voice, 26 April 2024, Rangamati: It is alleged that two residents of Jurachari Upazila under Rangamati District as well as Jumma students of Rangamati Government College was detained and harassed by the army.
On the other hand, two UP chairmen have been prohibited by the Banajogichara zone commander to conduct campaign for any candidate in the upcoming upazila elections, threatening to face dire consequences otherwise.
According to local sources, on 26 April at around 1:30 PM, two final year students of Rangamati Government College Saresh Chakma and Roni Chakma were stopped and detained at the check post by a Banajogichara Army Zone agent Md. Sohel. The victims were passing in front of the Jakkha Bazar Army Camp in Jurachari Sadar. Both Saresh Chakma and Roni Chakma are residents of Baraituli area in Jurachari.
After about half an hour at around 2 pm, Saresh Chakma and Roni Chakma were taken from the check post to the Jakkha Bazar army camp and harassed for about 3 hours keeping them waiting at the entrance of the camp. Later, at around 5 pm, army agent Sohel showed Roni Chakma a photo of flowers being laid at Shaheed Bedi by Jurachari thana branch of Pahari Chattra Parishad on February 21 and asked him to give the names and identity of the students in the photo.
Then, army agent Md. Sohel told Saresh Chakma and Roni Chakma to appear at Jakkha Bazar army camp at 9 am on April 27. The two students were then released around 5:30 pm after being interrogated with harassing questions.
It is also alleged that Karbari Dhananjay Chakma of Dhebachra village in Jurachari Sadar and Kiran Chandra Chakma a member of Ward No. 8 of Jurachari Union were called to the camp and harassed.
Local sources added that on April 24, the agent of the zone commander of Banajogichara army zone Md. Manju, quoting the zone commander, ordered the Chairmen (of Jurachari Union Parishad Eman Chakma (45) and Shantiraj Chakma (48), Chairman of Dumdumya Union Parishad that they should not carried out campaign for any candidate in the upcoming (May 8) upazila elections, otherwise they would face dire consequences.
In this regard, an elderly person of Jurachari said, the chairmen know what to do during the election. But even so, such behavior of the army is intentional and harassing.
