Hartal Passes off in Rangamati
Locals, settlers both keep indoors fearing reprisals
Follow-up
Yesterday's half-day hartal in Rangamati district, enforced by three indigenous organisations in protest against Thursday's arson attacks by Bangalee settlers in Longudu upazila under Rangamati district and injuring their activists allegedly by members of village defence party and law enforcers on Friday, passed off peacefully.
Tension is still running high in the villages of both indigenous and Bangalee settlers following Thursday's arson in four indigenous villages in Gulsakhali and Bogachattar unions under Longudu upazila of the district.
Most of the shops, schools, and business establishments remained closed while no motorised vehicle, except a few auto-rickshaws, plied the streets during the hartal called by United People's Democratic Front, Hill Women's Federation and Pahari Chhatra Parishad.
Ten people were injured in an attack on Friday when the three organisations were holding a rally at Kutukchhari Bazar in Sadar upazila protesting Thursday's incident.
Kotwali police on Friday night arrested seven indigenous people from Kutukchhari Bazar when they brought out a procession without permission, Sabbir, assistant sub-inspector of Kotwali police station said.
Earlier on Tuesday morning, Bangalee settler Saber Ali went to the jungle near Gulsakhali to collect firewood but he did not return on that day. Saber's dead body was found in the jungle on Wednesday.
Blaming the indigenous people for the killing, the settlers brought out a procession at Longudu upazila headquarters on Thursday evening and they subsequently conducted arson attacks on the four indigenous villages.
Indigenous people alleged that the Bangalee settlers set ablaze at least 32 of their houses in Shantinagar, Ranjit Karbaripara, Rangipara and Purbo Rangipara villages and looted cash and valuables from there on Thursday evening.
Ethnic people who lost their houses in the arson attacks are now passing their days under the open sky. Fearing possible further attack by settlers they cannot go to the market at Longudu upazila headquarters.
The settlers also cannot go anywhere in the forests for their own purposes for the same reason.
The settlers claimed that ethnic people set fire to some of their houses on the same day while an indigenous karbari (village headman) of Shantinagar village said the settlers themselves burnt down some of their houses to put the blame on the indigenous people.
Longudu upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Fazle Rabbi along with local leaders and public representatives visited the spot and requested all to maintain peace in the area.
Aid will be given to all the affected people after preparing a list, he said.
Authorities formed a seven-member probe body headed by the UNO and asked them to submit report by February 22.
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