Daily Star, Mon. August 25, 2003
Our Correspondent, Rangamati
Armed miscreants on Saturday abducted 16 people from Ram Krishnamachhari under Ghilachhari union of Naniarchar Upazila of the district.
Witnesses said an armed group of about 35 men raided the village early Saturday morning and picked up the 16 men at gunpoint. The miscreants also set fire to seven houses, including one belonging to a Union Parishad member, before leaving the spot.
Ten of the kidnap victims were identified as Taposh Chakma, Protipod Chakma, Biro Kumar Chakma, Maraching Chakma, Reboty Ronjon Chakma, Natun Chandra Chakma, Loleet Chakma, Ananda Biharee Chakma, Deep Chakma and Narayan Khisha.
Mohammed Kadir Bux, officer-in-charge (watch) at the office of District Intelligence of Police, acknowledged the incident but could not confirm the number of kidnap victims or the identities of their kidnappers. "We haven't yet got details of the incident from the Naniarchar Police," he said while talking to The Daily Star correspondent at 3:00pm yesterday.
The UNB, quoting eyewitnesses, reported Saturday that the kidnappers are proponents of the CHT peace treaty while the abducted villagers are opposed to the treaty.
Army was dispatched to the area, reported the news agency.
The BSS adds: Three of the 16 villagers abducted were released at Ram Krishnamachhari village yesterday.
Sources said security forces are conducting search and rescue operations to free the remaining 13 kidnap victims.
Police could not confirm whether the abducted villagers are affiliated with the anti-peace treaty United People's Democratic Front (UPDF), or the pro-peace treaty Parbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS).
Normalcy prevailed in the remote village with security forces patrolling the
area, sources added.