Demand to return land to Mro and Tripura communities in Lama

Chattogram civil society members have demanded to return 400 acres of jhum land to the people of Mro and Tripura communities in Lama, Bandarban. The civil society members made the demand from a rally they organised at Cheragi Pahar intersection in the city on Friday afternoon.

Researcher Mahfuzur Rahman, who attended the rally as chief guest, said one should not call the entire Chittagong Hill Tracts a terror-prone area or its dwellers terrorists just because of a few terrorists. Whenever there is any movement in Chattogram to press home for any rights, it is dubbed as conspiracy to secede the area.

Spelling out the demand to return the land to Mro and Tripura communities, he said the prime minister announced that there will not be any development projects destroying nature, but forests have been burnt down in Lama for rubber plantation. But no action is being taken against this.

Convener of the civil society members, Bhulon Bhoumik, presided over the programme where anti-oppression platform joint convener Bishumoy Dey, Hill Students Association’s Chittagong University unit general secretary Sohel Chakma, victim villagers Langkom Mro, Joychandra Tripura, Belua Mro, Songley Mro, Rangajon Tripura, among others, addressed the rally.

Victim Rangajon Tripura said, “We will sacrifice our lives but we won’t let them grab our lands. There is no legality of the lease (order) the rubber industry people got from the district administration.”

The participants brought out a procession from DC Hill before the rally.

Earlier, on 26 April, a rubber company set fire to 400 acres of jhum land and fruit orchards of the people of Mro and Tripura communities in Lama, Bandarban. Thirty nine families were the victims of the fire.