Tense calm in Ramesu Bazar: Protesters, security forces face off

Ramesu Bazar in Guimara, the epicentre of protests and violence following the gang rape of an adolescent girl of ethnic minority in Khagrachhari, remains tense. Supporters of the blockade are still occupying the market, while law enforcement personnel stand guard at the entry points. Protesters have set up barricades on the road between the two sides.

On Monday morning, this was the scene observed at Ramesu Bazar. Shops and buildings were set ablaze during Sunday’s violence. Most shop owners are from the hill community, with a few Bengali proprietors. Even this morning, smoke was still rising from some of the shops.

On Sunday, Ramesu Bazar turned into a battleground during protests over the gang rape. Clashes broke out between security forces and blockade supporters, with a section of locals siding with law enforcement. Three people, all from the hill community, were shot dead. At least 20 others, including an army major, were injured.

The incident began last Tuesday night when a schoolgirl was gang-raped around 9:00 pm while returning home from private tuition. At 11:00 pm, relatives found her unconscious in a field. After her father filed a case, police arrested one suspect, 21-year-old Shoyon Shil, who has been remanded for six days by the court.

The following day, Wednesday, Jumma students and locals launched protests demanding justice. To contain the unrest, the administration imposed Section 144 in Sadar, pourasava areas, and Guimara from Saturday afternoon.

What was seen at the spot

On Monday at around 9:30 am, a Prothom Alo reporter and photographer visited the entry point of Ramesu Bazar. Heavy security was deployed near the bridge adjoining the main road, about 100 yards from the market.

At the start of the market stands a three-story building known locally as Shibu Ghosh’s building, which houses nine government and non-government offices: the Department of Youth Development, the Department of Social Services, the Project Director’s Office of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board, the Department of Women’s Affairs, the Information Apa office, the Food Controller’s Office, Surjer Hashi Clinic, and NRDS.

All the windows of the building have been smashed, and the entire structure was set on fire. Shards of glass lay scattered outside. Eight motorcycles kept in the stairwell were torched, their charred remains still lying there. Burnt tiles littered the stairs, now cloaked in darkness due to power outage. By mobile phone light, it was seen that all office rooms were locked, with the walls blackened by fire. On Monday morning, no officials or employees were present. In an adjacent garage, three more motorcycles had been set ablaze.

A short distance from the building stood a turmeric warehouse, which was also set on fire on Sunday. By Monday morning, the fire had not been completely extinguished. Around 9:30 am, a fire service truck was still working to douse the flames, with smoke continuing to rise.

On the right side of the entry road into Ramesu Bazar was a sawmill, also set ablaze. One of its rooms near the bridge burned, and smoke still billowed from it. Another two-story building was vandalised and torched.

Suman Ghosh and Ganesh Ghosh, owners of the buildings, sawmill, and warehouse, told Prothom Alo they had not been present during Sunday’s violence. They said they were away, but someone set fire to their properties. The damage amounts to about Tk 50 million. We don’t know how we will recover from this loss, they said.

Right after the two-story building of Suman Ghosh and Ganesh Ghosh, the blockaders had set up a barricade on the road. Beyond that lies the main Ramesu Bazaar. Nearly all the shops in the bazaar were set on fire yesterday. Protesters were seen occupying the road.

However, law enforcement authorities did not allow access to the main Ramesu Bazaar. They only permitted movement up to the area before the barricade. Entry was not allowed where the blockaders were stationed.

Later, this correspondent spoke with Shahlapru Marma, a resident of Ramesu Bazaar neighborhood. He told Prothom Alo, “There is nothing new to say about who carried out the attack. This incident happened between hill people and Bengalis. So you can understand who set fire in the hill people’s neighborhood. At least 40 shops and 50 houses were burned down. Some warehouses were also destroyed.”

“Not only the houses and shops of the hill people, but also the homes of Bengalis living here were burned. Nothing is left of those houses—everything is gone. Eighteen motorcycles were burned. Even cows and goats kept in people’s homes were looted. We are living in constant fear,” he added.

Among those affected by the fire was Aung Chinu Marma. Speaking to Prothom Alo over the phone, he said his two houses and five shops had been burned. He couldn’t save anything. He fled his neighborhood with only the clothes he was wearing. Upon return, he found his home and shops completely gone. Now he is living under the open sky. Even after such a massive incident, no one from the administration has checked on them.

Meanwhile, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Aireen Akhter visited the Ramesu Bazaar area. However, she did not enter the main market. When asked about the situation, she said she was not authorised by higher authorities to make any comment.

Officer in Charge (OC) of Guimara Police Station, Md Enamul Haque Chowdhury, told Prothom Alo that since Monday morning, the army, BGB, police, and other law enforcement agencies have been patrolling to keep the situation under control.

The situation is still under control, he said, adding that there was no information about blockaders taking up positions in the upazila.

In the aftermath of Sunday’s violence, Bengalis living in hill neighborhoods and hill people living in Bengali neighborhoods are moving to safer shelters.

Priyanka Pal’s husband’s family home is located in Ramesu Bazar neighborhood. Her husband works in Khagrachhari town. She lives there with her 13-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son.

On Sunday, miscreants set fire to their home. Out of fear, she fled the house with her children and took shelter in another house. When the situation calmed somewhat, they returned home on Monday morning.

Describing the situation, Priyanka said, “I somehow managed to escape with my two children. I couldn’t take anything. Everything in the house was burned. Now nothing is left.”

For safety, Priyanka later moved with her two children to her parents’ home in Guimara’s Kalimandir area. Although her own home was burned, her neighbour Joy Banik’s house was not seriously damaged.

Still, he too decided to leave. Joy said although the house is fine, but fear has engulfed, explaining why he was moving to a relative’s house.

Lincoln Marma, a teacher at Guimara Government High School, lives in a Bengali neighbourhood. During Sunday’s violence, a group of Bengalis attacked his house. At that time, he, his wife, and two children were inside. His elder son, a university student, and younger son, a college student, had come home for the Puja holidays. The entire family was put at risk.

Teacher Lincoln Marma said he had no words to describe the incident. His hands and feet trembled as he spoke to journalists. Lincoln, a high blood pressure patient, was at home when a group attacked. They broke the door and stormed inside and attacked him with sticks, injuring his head and hand. Later, one of his students rushed in and rescued.

That student later took them to his own home, Lincoln added. They stayed there overnight, and in the morning moved to a relative’s house for safety.

The rescuer, Hafizur Rahman, who runs a pharmacy, said that hill people had attacked law enforcement personnel. In retaliation, Bengalis attacked Lincoln’s house, assuming the attackers were hiding there.

Hafizur said he quickly rushed to rescue his teacher Lincoln Marma.