Rangamanti clashes leave one dead, 55 injured

Clashes broke out between hill people and Bengalis in Rangamati on Friday in the aftermath of violence in Khagrachhari, leaving a hill youth dead and 55 people of both said injured. Houses and shops were also torched and vandalised during the clashes that lasted from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Earlier, a procession was brought out in the district in Sadar uapzila of Rangamati protesting the deaths of three hill people in firing and arson attacks on houses and shops in Khagrachhari. The clash ensued when stone chips were hurled at the procession, which broke out across a 1.5-km area in Bonrupa, Kalindipur, Uttar Kalindipur, and Bojon Soroni. Section 144 was imposed around 1:00 pm following the events.

Details of the deceased were unavailable. The body was kept at the Rangamati Sadar Hospital.

Resident physician of the hospital Showkat Akbar told Prothom Alo 56 injured people had been brought to the hospital since 11:30 am, and one of them aged 25 to 30 was pronounced dead. He might have died from a blow to his head.

Three of the injured were referred to Chattogram for better treatment while 19 others underwent treatment at the Rangamati Sadar Hospital. The remaining injured were released after giving first aid. According to physicians, these people had cut marks and stone injuries on their bodies.

Earlier, several thousand hill students and people brought the protest procession from the Rangamati stadium around 10:00 am. When the procession arrived in Bonrupa area some threw stone chips, triggering tension that led to clashes between hill people and Bengalis.

After that, hill people brought the procession in front of the deputy commissioner’s office where both parties exchanged stone chips. At one stage, the procession was foiled and hill people took shelter in surrounding areas.

Thirty to 40 houses and business establishments including the regional council office were also torched and vandalised in Bonrupa and Kalindipur area. Vehicles including buses, motorcycles and CNG-run auto-rickshaws were also vandalised, as well as at least 30 vehicles including the motorcycle of Prothom Alo’s Rangamati correspondent Sadhan Bikash Chakma were torched.

Deputy Commissioner Md Mosarrof Hossain Khan imposed section 144 in the Rangamati municipality around 1:00 pm on following the violence. Army and police strengthened patrol. Locals were guarding the hill people area to avert further attacks.

Rangamati’s additional superintendent of police Mohammad Sha Imran told Prothom Alo one was killed in the clash and many vehicles and shops were vandalised and torched. The situation was returning to normal following the enforcement of section 144. Fear still prevails in some places while the army, police and Border Guard Bangladesh patrol the areas.

There was an incident of overnight firing in Khagrachhari district Sadar on Thursday night, in connection to clashes between hill people and Bengalis in the Dighinala upazila of the district. Tension prevails in the entire district including the district Sadar.

As many as three people have been killed in the overnight firing and from the clashes in the afternoon. Meanwhile, at least 15 people have been injured. The deceased people are Junan Chakma, 20, Dhananjay Chakma, 50, and Rubel Chakma, 30.

Reportedly the clash started with a man named Mohammad Mamun, 30, being beaten Wednesday on the accusation of stealing a motorcycle. Mamun, a resident of Khagrachhari Sadar Upazila died while undergoing treatment on Wednesday.

Protesting the incident, Bengalis brought out a protest march in Dighinala on Thursday afternoon. Allegedly, the hill people obstructed the march at that time. That’s when the clash erupted.

At one point, the houses and shops of the hill people were torched and the hill people fled towards remote hill areas leaving their houses behind.