The Crime Desk: The situation has not normalized after the clash and violence between Pahari and Bengalis centered on the death of a Bengali youth who was beaten up on suspicion of being a thief in Khagrachari. Many questions are also being raised about why the three hill districts suddenly became so turbulent over one incident.
To keep the situation under control, a very strict position of the army was seen in the three hill districts. To resolve this conflict, the district administration is holding a meeting with hillmen and Bengalis in the neighborhoods of hill districts, including Khagrachari.
District Commissioner of Khagrachari. Sahiduzzaman told the media, “Several rumors have been spread through social media about last Thursday’s incident in Dighinala. Due to which the situation has become more fragile.
Pahari and Bengali organizations are blaming each other for this situation.
Locals claim that incidents like conflict and violence have occurred in the three hill districts due to various reasons, but this time the situation suddenly went out of control.
Mountain organizations say that if the mountain peace agreement is not properly implemented, this mountain crisis will not be resolved easily. However, a Bengali organization in the hill region claimed that there could be other political reasons behind the sudden unrest in the hills.
The incident started with bike theft. After the beating of a Bengali on September 18, the local Bengali students came to Lerma Square with a procession from Dighinala Government College and were stopped by Paharis. This started a conflict between the two sides.
The next day, Thursday afternoon, Bengalis took out a protest march in Dighinala to protest the killing. The Bengalis alleged that when the procession was crossing Boalkhali Bazar, the Paharis obstructed the clash between the two sides. According to local sources, various shops and houses were set on fire at Larma Square in Dighinala at one stage of the conflict.
Some Bengalis of Dighinala complained and told the media that at one stage of the chase, some hillmen suddenly started firing using firearms. Because of which the Bengalis became more angry. However, many of the Paharis complained that the Bengali students’ march was a provocation that led to a back-and-forth between the two sides.
As a result of the previous day’s incident, tension spread in Rangamati as well as Khagrachari on Thursday (September 19). In protest of the death of three paharis and the incident of arson in Khagrachari, the paharis took out a protest march yesterday morning under the banner of ‘anti-conflict and discrimination Pahari Chhatra Andolan’ at Rangamati district headquarters. Clashes broke out between Pahari and Bengalis over stone-pelting during the procession. At this time, 30-40 houses and shops, including the regional council office, were vandalized and set on fire.
Around 1,500 tourists have been stranded in the Sajek tourist area of the Baghaichhari upazila of Rangamati since Saturday (September 21) due to a three-day siege called by hill organizations. The Upazila administration said that there is a shortage of food and water. Some are returning by helicopter on Monday due to urgent needs and illness. Source: BBC Bangla
