Relief fails to return confidence among the victims of Matiranga-Taindong communal attack, citizens committee Despite coming back home, the indigenous villagers of Taindong, who were the victims of communal attack by local Bengali settlers on 3 August 2013 and forced to take shelter in the Indian border after losing own homes and valuables, are leading an extremely unsecured life. The local inhabitants of Taindong informed the citizen team of the Citizens Committee for Humanitarian Support for Taindong Indigenous Victims-2013 visiting Taindong on 27 September 2013 that the burned houses are supposed to be built and each victim family was sanctioned with 30 kg of food grain per month by the Government. Supayan Chakma, the convener of Taindong Relief Committee said that due to the involvement of non-government institutions in relief works along with the Government efforts, the affected villagers have been able to handle temporarily the danger of entering into a disastrous situation. However, according to the local inhabitants, they are passing through extremely unsecured situations because they cannot trust anybody, which has emanated from their experience of getting beaten by the Bengali settlers in front of members of law enforcement agencies. Rajib Mir, member-secretary of Citizens Committee said that such situation is prevailing even after meetings between Khagrachari district and police administration and the minister of state of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Dipankar Talukdar, and citizen’s representatives’ team took place on 28 August 2013 following a fact-finding mission by the team. During the second visit on 26-27 September 2013, citizen team of Citizens Committee for Humanitarian Support for Taindong Indigenous Victims-2013 led by its member-secretary and teacher of the Mass Communication and Journalism Department of Jagannath University Mr. Rajib Mir handed over nearly 800,000 taka (BDT) including contribution of Manusher Jonno Foundation and Kapaeeng Foundation to the local relief committee. Rajib Mir noted that since the incident was with an intention to expropriate lands, further occurrence of such incidents cannot be ruled out; so all should keep their eyes open in this regard. The citizen team consisted of Manusher Jonno Foundation’s Tandra Chakma, Human Rights Activist Anis Mahmud, Filmmaker Rashed Rain, International Labour Organisation consultant Uchacha-A Chak, journalist Afroja Soma and Baezid Hosen et al, among others. Earlier, the Citizens Committee for Humanitarian Support for Matiranga Indigenous Victims 2013 provided the victims with BDT 300,000 during the first visit to the spot on 24-26 August 2013. It is learnt that Bangladesh Red Crescent also provided the victim families with lentil, oil, dry food and other necessities and kitchen utensils. The Government authority provided the victim families of arson attack with BDT 16,500 each and the families that had been looted were provided with BDT 3,500 each family. On 8 September 2013 Dr. Gowher Rizvi, advisor on International Affairs to the Prime Minister distributed relief (chiefly kitchen utensils) for 902 affected families. The CHT Jumma Refugee Welfare Association provided the villagers with BDT 200,000. Furthermore, the general public also made financial contributions for the victim of indigenous villagers of Taindong. After first visit of the affected areas, on 31 August 2013 the Citizen Committee organised the press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity. At a press conference, they demanded exemplary punishments for the attackers and proper sufficient compensations and rehabilitations of the affected families. They also demanded the safety of the affected indigenous villagers and implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord of 1997. On 24-26 August 2013 a 20-member team of the Citizens Committee led by Tarek Ali, Numan Ahmed Khan and Rajib Mir along with a group of media activists visited the spot. A resident of Baga Para named Anil Baran Chakma (38) s/o late Dhananjoy Chakma, who was victim of this attack, filed a case against 100-150 people with Matiranga police station in this connection on 5 August 2013. Police arrested 13 persons including Md. Kamal Hossain (35) s/o Mokhlesur Rahman of Bottoli bazaar (who spread rumour); Md. Abed Ali Member (55), Kamrul Hassan alias Aman (35), Abu Taher (28), Md. Jahangir Alam Sujan (24), Md. Amir Hossain (20), Md. Monir Hossain (25), Md. Mehedi Hassan, a primary school teacher and leader of Bengali Student Council and an adolescent of Bengali settler. However, it is learnt that two arrested namely Mehedi Hassan (leader of Bengali Student Council) and adolescent settler were released on bail. Hence, doubt has been arisen whether exemplary punishment would be awarded to the culprits. Communal attack on Jumma villages by Bengali settlers in Matiranga-Taindong of Khagrachari district Kapaeeng Foundation (A Human Rights Organization for Indigenous Peoples of Bangladesh)
Posted on: Sat, 05 Oct 2013 12:16:02 +0000
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