NANIARCHAR ARSON 54 Chakma, Tripura families living in tents, with little relief supplies No case filed December 28, 2014 12:46 am·0 Comments Mohiuddin Alamgir About 54 hill families in three villages in Naniarchar upazila, Rangamati are passing their days in extreme hardship with virtually no relief supplies from the administration since their homes were burnt down by Bangalis in retaliatory action 11 days back. Losing shelter, the victims, mostly Chakmas but for a few Tripura families, are enduring chilly nights living in small tents. On the morning of December 16, Bangalis burnt the Chakma and Triupra homes in retaliation to the destruction of their pineapple plantations and teak saplings, said Bangali families. Scattered burnt corrugated iron sheets, half-burnt clothes, wooden poles and damaged mud walls and Buddha images testify the retaliatory atrocities. Until the morning of December 16, the 54 affected families lived in three or four-room shelters in the three hill villages Suridas Para, Bagachari and Nabin Talukdar Para. They can’t make two ends meet as they cannot go to work and the sufferings increased having to endure chilly weather losing whatever warm clothes they had. Rice and clothes provided by fellow Chakmas and Tripura families were totally inadequate to meet the needs. Rangamati deputy commissioner Shamsul Arefin and Naniarchar upazila chairman Shakitman Chakma said that the administration provided relief supplies immediately. They said that more relief supplies would be provided after assessing the losses suffered by the 54 families. Ushatan Talukder, MP, from Rangamati said he was not aware whether any emergency relief supplies were provided to the Naniarchar families as the administration had kept him in the dark about it. Bangalis set ablaze 37 houses in Suridas Para, seven houses in Bagachari and six houses in Nabin Talukdar Para. Locals said that the attackers also beat up Ogasa Bhikkhu, a Buddhist temple monk and looted four bronze images of Buddha from the temple and vandalized seven shops on Rangamati-Khagrachari Road. Bangalis and the police said that, the attack took place in retaliation to destruction of around 4.5 lakh pineapple plants and 20,000 teak saplings, on the previous night. Chittagong Hill Tracts Equal Rights Movement secretary general Moniruzzaman alleged that the hill people had destroyed pineapple plantations and teak saplings of Bangali families. Rangamati district unit United Peoples Democratic Front leader Sachal Chakma refuted the allegation and alleged that the Bangali families had planted the saplings on the land belonging to the hill families. During visits to Suridas Para, Bagachari and Nabin Talukdar Para, New Age found on Wednesday that since losing their shelters the affected Chakma and Tripura families were living in small blue and orange tents on the two sides of the Rangamati-Khagrachari Road. ‘We lost everything,’ said Kalpana Chakma, who has taken shelter in a tiny tent with six other members of her family. ‘We lost our house, food, clothes and even the kitchen,’ she said. Kamjua Chakma said that the attack forced him and four members of his family to flee and take refuse in the jungle and on return to the village hours later found that their house was burning. ‘I am unable go to work to earn for the family,’ he said. ‘Since losing our four-room tin roofed mud house and the kitchen we took shelter in a tent,’ he said. ‘You can see our sufferings,’ he said. Tushan Moni Chakma was heading to a hill to collect fuel wood to keep his family warm at chilly night. ‘We lost our warm clothes,’ he said. Naniarchar upazila chairman Shaktiman Chakma said that the administration provided relief to the victims immediately after their houses were burnt down. He said that each family was provided Tk 2,000, some rice, blankets and three bundles of corrugated iron sheets for rebuilding the houses. The affected families, however, refused to accept the corrugated iron sheets saying they were totally inadequate to meet the needs. Kalpana and Kamuja said that they will accept the relief only if the government gave it to every affected family. Shajahan and Nur Islam, who lost their pineapple plantations, said that they got a meager amount from the administration. Shakitman Chakma said that each of the pineapple plantation owners got Tk 20,000 from the administration. He described the relief supplies to the hill families as totally insufficient but said more relief supplies would be provided soon. Rangamati additional superintendent of police Abul Kalam Azad and Naniarchar police station officer in charge Mohammad Rashid said no complaints were lodged either by the Bangalis who lost their pineapple plantations and teak saplings or the Chakma and Tripura families who lost their houses and business. Pineapple plantation owner Nur Islam and Kamjua Chakma said they did not file cases out of the thinking they would provide no justice. Rangamati DC said all the culprits will be identified and arrested very soon. - See more at: newagebd.net/80806/54-chakma-tripura-families-living-in-tents-with-little-relief-supplies/#sthash.3k4BfMuD.czb80aiB.dpuf newagebd.net/80806/54-chakma-tripura-families-living-in-tents-with-little-relief-supplies/#sthash.3k4BfMuD.czb80aiB.dpbs
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 14:07:08 +0000
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