Hill Voice, 7 August 2024, Rangamati: Today (7 August), Hill Women’s Federation (HWF) and Pahari Chattra Parisad (PCP) issued a joint statement strongly condemning and protesting the abduction of two HWF leaders by the anti-CHT Accord UPDF terrorists (Prasit Group) and demanding their immediate unconditional release.

The press release signed by PCP Information, Publicity and Publication Secretary Annesh Chakma reads as follows:

“Yesterday August 6, 2024, Organizing Secretary Sushti Chakma and Information and Publicity Secretary of Rangamati District Unite of HWF Kanchanmala Chakma were abducted at gun point by the anti-CHT Accord UPDF the terrorists (Prasit Group) from the TV center area of Vedvedi under Rangamati sadar. By strongly condemning and protesting the abduction, the HWF and the PCP demanded immediate unconditional release of the two HWF leaders.

Yesterday at around 2:00 pm, the anti-CHT Accord UPDF (Prasit Group) entered Rangamati town from both sides through Manikchari-Rangamati road and Rajbari-Shilpkala Academy areas with local made weapons, bricks, slingshots and sticks for creating violence and sabotage and announced holding so called mass meeting in the gymnasium premises of Rangamati town. For this purpose, taking hostage at gun point, they brought several thousand ordinary people in Rangamati town by more than 10 jeeps and more than 15 trawler boats from Kawkhali’s Ghagra, Kutukchari, Sapchari, Nanyachar, Bandhukbanga etc.

To maintain stability in Rangamati town and for the interest of the Jumma people, the two teams of PCP and HWF urged them to go back to their respective areas. But ignoring the call, the UPDF attacked on the two teams of PCP and HWF pelting bricks from their jeeps and sticks with the help of 3 army vehicles from Manikchari. At that time, two HWF leaders were kidnapped at gun point. In the attack, more than 20 leaders and workers of Juba Samiti, PCP and HWF were injured and 17 of them had to take first aid from Rangamati General Hospital.

Since the UPDF was created on December 26, 1998, they have been trying to create reign of terror in CHT with the aim of thwarting the process of implementing the CHT Accord signed to establish the self-determination to the Jumma peoples of Chittagong Hill Tracts. They have been carrying out crimes like kidnapping, disappearance and murder for more than 2 decades in CHT holding the Jumma people hostage. The PCP and the HWF believe that this planned attack on the leaders and activists working for the rights of Jumma peoples and the kidnapping of two leaders of HWF are a part of those.

Due to non-implementation of the CHT Accord fully and precisely, the anti-Accord and ant-Jumma interest armed terrorist outfit UPDF (Prasit group) with the support of the special forces of the state has come to the forefront recently again and trying to destabilise the Rangamati town.

The PCP and HWF condemn this kind of heinous activities of the UPDF and call upon them to desist from such misdeeds for the greatest interest of the people and also call upon the entire Jumma people along with the UPDF to join the movement for the implementation of the CHT Accord.

In order to overcome the overall unstable situation in CHT, the CHT Accord should be implemented fully and properly. The PCP and the HWF are again demanding the immediate unconditional release of the two leaders.