Daily Star, 14 August 2002
Monirul Alam, Rangamati
Probhudhan Chakma, a government primary schoolteacher, once harboured a dream
of living a peaceful life along with his family members after his retirement.
Even he got the opportunity this year as he retired recently and was planning
to utilise his pension money--his lifetime savings.
But he had his dream shattered when the extortionists gave him a stern call to pay them Tk 5 lakh.
At midnight on July 1, a gang of about six unidentified tribal youths equipped with firearms and sharp weapons knocked at the door of his residence at Puratonpara under Kutukchhari thana of Naniarchar upazila in Rangamati district. As the elderly teacher came out, they asked for a toll of Tk 5 lakh and ordered him to pay within a week.
But the teacher's refusal to comply with their demand made them angry. They
beat him up and stabbed indiscriminately in his neck, back and chest before
fleeing the scene, according to his family.
The following day, family members took him to the Rangamati General Hospital
where he had to stay for a week for treatment.
Since the CHT peace accord came into effect in 1997, extortion has become rampant
throughout Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), sending a chill among all section of
people, including government employees, it is reported.
The extortionists are even resorting to abduction to realise money.
Although hundreds of people have been abducted for ransom in three hill districts
since 1997, the police officials put the figure at 96.
According to police records, 55 people were abducted in Khagrachhari and 41
in Rangamati districts. But the number of victims abducted from Bandarban could
not be known.
However, most of the victims have been freed after the payment of ransom; others
were either killed or missing, according to police and local people.
The latest incident took place on August 2 when 35-year-old Rupak Chakma, a
contractor, was abducted from Longdu upazila headquarters in Rangamati as he
refused to pay toll. He is still missing.
Yaar Mohammed, 45, and Ilias, 35, both are truck drivers, met the same fate as Rupak. The two were abducted at gunpoint from Moishpara area on Chittagong-Rangamati highway on July 31. Over ten days have elapsed after the incident, but their fate is still unknown, sources said.
Nani Gopal Mondol, an officer of Rangamati Radar range, was abducted on the
night of June 23 from his residence of North Kalindipur in Rangamati town.
However, he was freed three days later on payment of a ransom of Tk 1.5 lakh,
sources said.
Police said a gang of about five tribal youths had abducted him at gunpoint.
Still missing is Kabir Ahmed, 40, a vegetable trader. Local people said he was
kidnapped at gunpoint at around noon on June 22 from Forer Mukh area on his
way to a bazaar.
On June 23, Sanjib Chakma, 35, an employee of a district pig farm in Rangamati,
was gunned down on the farm by the activists of the United People's Democratic
Front (UPDF) that opposes the peace accord, according to police who quoted the
local people.
Sanjib's family members said the activists had been demanding toll from him
for long.
The UPDF men have also been trying to establish their supremacy in the CHT over
the four years, resulting in violence.
Recently, the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS) has formed Santrash Daman Committee (SDC) to resist violence by UPDF.
Local people blamed the law enforcing agency personnel for deteriorating law
and order situation in the region.