After Thanchi, armed group attacks Alikadam checkpost late night

After incidents of three branches of two banks being attacked, looting of arms, and abduction in a matter of 17 hours in two upazilas of Bandarban, on Thursday night armed groups opened fire at the Thanchi police station. Later, deep in the night, the assailants attacked a police and army joint checkpost in Alikadam upazila. No police or anyone of the security forces were hurt in the incident.

Local sources and sources in the security forces said that at around 8:30 Thursday night the assailants opened fire at Thanchi police station and the police opened counter fire.

At around 10:00pm, the Thanchi police station officer-in-charge (OC) Jasim Uddin told Prothom Alo that the firing continued from 8:30pm to 9:30pm. The situation was calm now. He said, "We came to know that the attackers were near around the police station and we remained on alert."

When asked about the extent of gunfire, the OC said that it was not counted, but was likely to have been 400 to 500 rounds.

The police did not say anything clearly about who had opened fire. Earlier, though, it was said that KNF were responsible for the robbery at Sonali Bank in Ruma upazila of Bandarban on Tuesday night as well as the abduction of the bank manager and looting of 14 firearms of the police and ansars.

According to latest reports, at 12:45am in the night, the assailants attacked the police and army joint checkpost in a 26 mile area of Dim Pahar in Alikadam thana of Bandarban.

The OC of Alikadam police station, Toubidur Rahman, told Prothom Alo that the attackers' vehicle broke through the checkpost and tried to speed ahead. They opened fire when obstructed. The members of police in the checkpost opened counter fire. The attackers then retreated. No members of the police were injured in the incident.

During the 17 hours of the Ruma incident, Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), the armed group which was launched in the hills two years ago, opened fire at around 1:00pm on Wednesday afternoon, creating alarm in Thanchi bazaar. They looted money from Sonali Bank and Krishi Bank local branches.

Meanwhile, the Sonali Bank manager abducted from Ruma, Nezam Uddin, was released on Thursday evening after around 48 hours. The SMS sent around 7:30pm to the media by RAB stated that "The manager of Sonali Bank's Ruma branch in Bandarban, Nezam Uddin, has been recovered through RAB mediation." RAB-15 commander Lt. Col. HM Sajjad Hossain said he had been recovered from the Ruma bazaar area. From there Nezam Uddin was taken to the RAB camp.

Earlier during the day, it was learnt that the armed group had demanded ransom for the bank manager. Speaking to the media in Dhaka in the afternoon, RAB's legal and media wing director Commander Khandakar Al Moin said that KNF had demanded a hefty sum as ransom to release the bank manager. RAB adopted all sorts of tactics to rescue him safely and unhurt. However, the RAB official did not clarify the details of how an understanding was reached to rescue the bank manager.

Following the two consecutive days of attack by the armed assailants, activities of all banks including Sonali Bank have been shut down for an indefinite period in the Ruma, Thanchi and Roangchhari upazilas of Bandarban.

Tension prevailed throughout the day in these areas. The locally formed 'committee to establish peace' has suspended all dialogue with KNF. The law enforcement agencies have announced a joint operation to recover the looted arms and to bring the criminal under control.

In the meantime, fresh rounds of gunfire were heard at night in Thanchi. At 10:00pm the home minister Asaduzzaman Khan told Prothom Alo, "Fire was opened from afar, aiming at the police station. Our police opened fire too."

Earlier at 9:30pm, the police's Chattogram Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Nure Alam Mina told Prothom Alo, some unknown elements opened fire at the Thanchi police station from a hill to the southeast. The police counter fire from the police station. He said, "There are an adequate number of police at the police station. While inspecting the police station on Thursday afternoon, I deployed addition force there. The members of our police force are doing well. Fire is being opened intermittently at the police station."

Speaking to local people it was learned that they were in alarm because of the sound of gunfire. Many of them fell flat to ground in fear of being hit but bullets. The local people feel that it is KNF involved in the shooting.

On Thursday afternoon, the Chattogram range DIG Nure Alam Mina inspected the two bank branches which had been looted. He told media persons at the time that a joint operation would be launched to recover the looted money and to bring the criminals under control. There may be around eight to nine cases regarding the looting of bank money in Ruma and Thanchi, the attack on police and more. The cases are being prepared.

Without naming any terrorist group, the DIG said, the two banks were funds in order to gather funds. There is more money in Ruma and so attempts were made to break into the vault. And as it was market (haat) day in Thanchi, there was more transaction at the bank too. That was why there was the robbery there.

Meanwhile the 'committee to establish peace' has announced a suspension of all dialogue with KNF. Members of the committee made this announcement at a press briefing on Thursday. They said if KNF does not release the abducted bank manager, return the money and arms and fail to create an environment to return to normal life, the 'committee to establish peace' may be dissolved.

Convenor of the 'committee to establish peace' and zila parishad chairman, Kya Shai Hla Marma, read out a written statement at the media briefing held in the zila parishad conference room. Present at the briefing were the committee's member secretary Laljar Lom Bom, spokesperson Kanchan Joy Tanchanga and others.

The media conference strong condemned the looting of the bank money and arms, the abduction of the bank officials and other criminal activities of KNF.

The 'committee to establish peace' was formed on 29 May 2013 under the leadership of the zila parishad chairman Kya Shai Hla Marma with the intention of rehabilitating KNF members back to normal life. KNF has had several meeting with the committee online and twice directly. During the direct meetings held on 5 November and 5 March last year, two MOUs were signed. KNF has committee to stop off criminal activities including extortion, abduction, looting and such.

On Thursday the operations of all banks including Sonali Bank were announced closed indefinitely in Ruma, Thanchi and Roangchhari. No banks have branches in these three upazilas other than Sonali Bank and Krishi Bank.

Sonali Bank's additional general manager (AGM) Md Osman Ghani has said that the people of these three upazilas will be able to carry out limited transactions in the bank branches at the district sadar (headquarters). He said this was a temporary hitch.

Bandarban Sadar is 81km from Thanchi, 48km from Ruma and 18km from Roangchhari. It will be a hassle to come to the Sadar carry out transactions, said local people's representatives and businessmen.

President of the Ruma Bazar Traders Association, Anjan Barua, told Prothom Alo that there were 400 traders in this market. It was Eid season. The traders, buyers and sellers were all in a quandary with bank transactions closed in this season for brisk business.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, councillor of Ruma pourashava sadar ward 2, Mohammad Moin Uddin said, it is not possible for everyone to go to Bandarban Sadar for bank transactions.

A visit to the two branches of Sonali Bank and Krishi Bank in Thanchi on Thursday found the doors locked. Police were on guard outside. The upazila directorate of women's affairs official Emran Hossain spoke to Prothom Alo in the afternoon in front of Sonali Bank. He said, 90 per cent of the people could not withdraw money. He said he too couldn't withdraw salary and allowances.

A visit to Thanchi bazaar on Thursday afternoon found no customers at the shops. The traders had closed shop on the previous day, Wednesday, after the incident, but reopened on Thursday morning after being reassured by the administration.

Trader Musa Miah told Prothom Alo, "The manner in which they looted the bank in broad daylight, looting these business establishments is nothing."

No tourist vehicles were seen travelling through Thanchi upazila on Thursday. Driver Salahuddin, speaking to Prothom Alo, said that even in Ramadan there are tourists at other times. But after the bank looting, no one has come.

It was the weekly market (haat) day on Thursday in Ruma, but there were hardly any people. Banana trader Nazrul Islam said they were all in alarm after the bank robbery. They were scared of what may happen at any time.

Two years ago, towards the middle of 2022, KNF launched itself as a new armed group in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, by means of an announcement on social media. They then started activities in Barathali Union of Bilaichhari upazila in Rangamati, and Ruma, Roangchhari and Thanchi in Bandarban.

KNF carried out at least nine large scale terror incidents in two years. Last year five members of the army were killed in four KNF attacks. During clashes with another armed group UPDF (Democratic) last year, eight died in Khamtangpara of Roangchhari upazila and one in Mualpipara of Ruma upazila. Also, on 8 May last year, three members of the Bom community including an Awami League leader in Paingkhiyongpara of Roangchhari upazila, and on 22 March 2023 a karbari (chief) Thongchul Bom of Ramtharpara in the same upazila, were shot dead. On 21 June 2022, the armed assailants shot dead three persons in Saijam Para of Barathalu Union of Bilaichhari in Rangamati.

Members of a new militant organisation of the plain land, Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharakkiya, used to be trained in the KNF camp. In 2022 the law enforcement agencies raided the camp and arrested a large number of militants and KNF members too. That was when KNF came into the limelight. The law enforcement then carried out an extended anti-KNF operation in the hills.

There was news of their camps being destroyed. Then with the founding of the 'committee to establish peace', informal talks began. While all this was going on, the law enforcement had no idea that this armed group was preparing for fresh attacks behind the scenes. Several officers, on condition of anonymity, told Prothom Alo, there was a gap in intelligence information. The armed group took this opportunity to carry out the bank robberies and looting of arms in Ruma and Thanchi.

Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan has said that stern action will be taken against those involved in the armed attacks and bank robberies in Bandarban. Speaking to newspersons at the secretariat on Thursday, he said that the bank robbery is not being considered a minor incident. Action will be taken in accordance to the prime minister's directives to strongly suppress Kuki-Chin.