The Independent, 1 September 2003
http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/sep/01/01092003mt.htm#A4
OUR CORRESPONDENT, KHAGRACHHARI
The first day of the 72-hour road barricade programme called by the United People Democratic Front (UPDF) across the hill district passed off peacefully yesterday.
The UPDF enforced the road barricade programme in a bid to realise its six-point demands including formation of a Judicial Committee to probe into the killing of a tribal man and to protest against the arson attack on some tribal houses at the Mahalchhari village in Khagrachhari on August 26.
It was alleged that the army along with a group of settlers attacked the villagers of Mahalchhari on the same day bringing accusation of kidnapping of a businessman named Rupan Mahajan.
The life in the hill districts was almost paralysed as many people remained stranded at different places in the district due to the road barricade programme.
Suffering of the people multiplied with the rise of prices of essential commodities due to the action programme of the UPDF.
Earlier, the local business community called a road barricade programme for an indefinite period on the Mahalchhari-Khagrachhari Road from the August 26 in protest against the attack on the villagers.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Khagrachhari, Humayun Kabir Khan and Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Mosharraf Hossain visited the spot at Mahalchhari area and distributed foods and essential commodities among the affected people.
According to sources, the district administration already appointed two magistrates to co-operate with the Upazilla Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of the trouble-torn Mahalchhari Thana for maintaining law and order in the Thana areas.
Meanwhile, the UPDF organised a press conference on Saturday at the office of the Tribal Contractors’ Association in the district headquarters to explain their six-point demands.
Our DU Correspondent adds: The Hill Students’ Council (HSC), a student organisation in Greater Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), yesterday submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia containing their five-point demands including formation of a Judicial Probe Committee to investigate the August 26 attack allegedly unleashed by the army and a group of settlers at Mahalchhari in Khagrachhari district.
The other demands of the HSC are immediate withdrawal of the army camps from the region, suspension of military officials and personnel responsible for the attack, paying compensation to the affected people, reconstruction of the damaged Buddhist Bihar (shrine) and the initiative to ensure permanent peace in the hill tracts through talks with the leaders of the United Peoples Democratic Front (UPDF).
Earlier, hill students brought out a procession and held a rally on the Dhaka University campus. The speakers at the rally warned that they would be compelled to launch a tougher movement on the issue if the government failed to meet their ‘legitimate demand’.
Later, a delegation led by Mithun Chakma and Illira Dewan went to the Prime
Minister’s office and submitted the memorandum.