Hill Voice, May 9, 2020, Rangamati:  A group of Muslim settlers attacked two trawler boats carrying fruit products of Jumma people in the lake area adjacent to Harikaba in Longadu upazila of Rangamati hill district this morning, injuring at least six people.

According to local sources, a group of Jumma villagers of Dhudhukchhari village in Longadu Sadar Union of Longadu Upazila set off for Rangamati on Saturday morning, May 9, 2020, in the two-trawler boats carrying various seasonal fruits.

At one stage, when the Jumma farmers reached Bara Habikaba area at around 7:30 am, the Muslim settlers in the area surrounded the boats and attacked the Jumma people. At least six Jummas were reportedly injured in the attack.

Injured Jumma people were identified as: 1. Dayal Chandra Chakma (52), son of late Kantamani Chakma, 2. Prasit Chakma alias Dhanban (45), son of Nua Mangal Chakma, 3. Dhanamani Chakma (30), son of Jurendra Chakma, 4. Sumati Chakma alias Naga (48), son of late Bhaktamani Chakma, 5. Bhagirath Chakma (35), son of Moni Chakma and 6. Dhanban Chakma.

During the attack, the Muslim settlers reportedly snatched mobile phones and money from the Jumma farmers and threw the fruit into the lake.

After the incident, without taking action against the attacking settlers, the security forces went to Jumma village at Bara Harikaba and ordered the Chairman and Members of the local Union Parishad and Karbaris of the area to be present in the camp, Jumma villagers alleged.

It is to be noted that before the lockdown, one of the settlers, who used to go for building a school house in Harihaba village, raped a speech-impaired woman. Later, the elder sister of the raped girl lodged a GD with the police station. But later it was reported that he was forced to withdraw.

Later, during the lockdown, there was no hard restriction on the settlers’ entry into the Jumma villages. A few days ago, a settler named Abu Bakr again raped a Jumma girl and it was reportedly settled for BDT 10,000.

Even before this, the settlers used to feed Jumma’s paddy plantation to the cows in the name of raising cattle, cut the paddy in the name of mowing the grass and enter the Jumma areas in the name of looking for vegetables.

According to local sources, as part of the ongoing lockdown to prevent coronavirus infection across the country, Jumma villagers also imposed lockdown in their villages of Longadu and restrictions were imposed on anyone outsider entering the villages.

But a few days ago, a settler went to cut grass for cows at a Jumma village breaking the lockdown, but was tried to stop level best by the Jumma villagers. As it did not work, at the last, the villagers forcibly compelled him to let out from the village.

After the incident came to light, a local Jumma member of the Longadu Union Parishad named Ajoy Bikash Chakma went to Settler’s neighborhood to make them understanding the matter, but the settlers beat him up and threatened to see the Jumma villagers.

Later, when the army of the local camp was informed about the matter, they reportedly punished the settlers involved in beating the UP member.

In this way, the settlers became angry and they started looking for opportunities to attack the Jumma villagers. The settlers began to obstruct the Jumma people from traveling through the canal they had to enter to reach the village of Harihaba. As part of that, the settlers attacked today, said a local Jumma villager.