Govt to go tough on miscreants, option of dialogue to remain open

A stringent operation will be launched to suppress the armed groups that carried out attacks in Ruma and Thanchi upazilas in Bandarban. The government will also keep open the door of peace talks or negotiation if the people of that area want, said home minister Asaduzzaman Khan.

The home minister said this following the meeting of law and order situation of Bandarban in the circuit house of the district on Saturday. He said the government will go tough but will continue peace talks if people want as the government is elected by the people.

The meeting was organised in the wake of recent attacks, abduction, bank robbery and arms loot by Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF).  Senior officials of law enforcement and security forces including home ministry officials,  representatives of various intelligence agencies as well as local public representatives and administration officials attended the meeting. They put forward their opinions to deal with the current situation.

Sources said the meeting decided to take tough measures against the armed group. Decisions including conducting joint operations led by the army, increasing the number of members of various law enforcement forces, strengthening security in border areas and installing closed circuit (CC) cameras at important places were taken during the meeting. The meeting also discussed bringing back the head of the armed group if he currently stays abroad and bringing him to book.

After the closed-door meeting, the home minister told the journalists that the meeting decided to do everything needed for the sake of maintaining law and order in the district. The number of police, RAB and Ansar will be increased and BGB’s petrol in border areas will be intensified.

He also said the prime minister has asked the Bangladesh Army to conduct a joint drive.

Without mentioning the name of KNF, the home minister said Bandarban zilla parishad chairman Kya Shew Hla was conducting peace talks with the armed group with utmost patience. Two meetings took place and another was due. But the armed group has taken a stance against the state by committing heinous crimes such as bank robbery, abduction and arms loot while negotiation was going on. So the state cannot remain a spectator.

“Doors of immense possibility were opened in three hill districts. None will be spared if someone causes trouble being instigated by others.”

He said Bangladesh will take assistance from Interpol if needed.

“We have friendship with neighboring country Myanmar. India is our friendly country. We will bring back those who are committing these crimes through Interpol even if they take shelter abroad.”

The home minister was the chief guest in the meeting organised by the district administration. State minister of Chittagong Hill Tract affairs ministry Kujendra Lal Tripura, Bandarban’s lawmaker Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing, director general of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) major general Md Ashrafuzzaman Siddique, director general of Ansar VDP major general AKM Aminul Haque, senior secretary of public security department of  home ministry Mostafizur Rahman, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun and security services division’s secretary Abdullah Al Masud Chowdhury, among others, joined the meeting.

The meeting was also attended by director general of Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), chief of Special Branch (SB) of police, senior officers of various intelligence agencies, Bandarban army region commander, additional director general of RAB and Bandarban Zilla Parishad chairman Kya Shew Hla, deputy commissioner Shah Mojahid Uddin and superintendent of police Saikat Shaheen.

Miscreants attacked Sonali Bank’s Ruma branch at around 8:15pm on Tuesday. Although they failed to loot the vault of the bank, they snatched 14 arms and 415 bullets from police and Ansar members. The armed miscreants had abducted bank’s manager Nezam Uddin, whom RAB freed later on Thursday. They also attacked Krishi Bank and Sonali Bank branches in Thanchi upazila on Wednesday afternoon. They looted Tk 1.7 million from two branches of two banks. The law enforcers said KNF members were involved with all these attacks. A total of six cases were filed over these incidents.

Despite deployment of additional police forces, panic gripped Ruma upazila after the attack.

Chattogram range’s deputy inspector general (DIG) Nure Alam Mina told Prothom Alo yesterday that additional members of police have been deployed in several thanas of Bandarban and security has been beefed up.
The people have nothing to fear, he added.