http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/01/09/d4010901033.htm
The Daily Star, Fri. January 09, 2004
Staff Correspondent
Insecurity stalks the indigenous people in their Modhupur forest homes
after ruling BNP activists allegedly threatened them in the wake of
violence that locals say is aimed at upsetting their movement against an
eco-park.
Locals claimed Bangalee Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) activists,
armed with firearms and machetes, barged into the forest village of
Jalchatra-Pachish Mile on Wednesday night and threatened the indigenous
people not to raise their voice again the park.
Many Garos shut down their shops and left their homes to seek security
elsewhere, locals said.
The government is planning to develop an eco-park under about Tk 9 crore
Madhupur National Park Development Project in the 3,000-acre heart of
the sal forest, sparking protest from indigenous people who live in the
forest for ages and fear the project will destroy their peace.
The threat came after a tempo of BNP activists ran into a procession of
Garo people who were returning home in procession from a rally on
Wednesday in protest against the killing of Piren Slan.
Locals said the processionists damaged the tempo, 'taking the bait to
create a religious divide' between the indigenous people who are
predominantly Christian and the Bangalee mostly Muslim.
They said after the incident, the BNP activists spread the rumour that
the Christian Garos ransacked the tempo and assaulted its Muslim women
passengers.
The BNP activists also attacked the convoy of legislator Kader Siddiqui,
who was returning from the Joinagachha house of Piren, at Jalchhatra bus
stand the same day.
They smashed the windshields of most vehicles of the convoy and wounded
Abu Jafar Alam, office-in-charge of Modhupur Police Station, who was
trying to save the lawmaker.
Jafar is now undergoing treatment at a local hospital.
Siddiqui blamed the BNP for the attack at a press briefing at his house
and his Krishak Sramik Janata League staged a rally in Dhaka in protest.
Protesters at the rally said the government was trying to evict the
indigenous people from their forest villages in the name of developing
the eco-park.
They demanded exemplary punishment to the attackers.
Bangladesh Forum for Indigenous People (BFIP) also staged a protest
rally at Central Shaheed Minar yesterday to condemn the killing of Piren
and attacks on ethnic Garos in Modhupur and protest against the eco-park
project.
Sita Nakrek, the widow of Piren, and their baby girl attended the rally,
among others.
http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/01/09/d4010901033p.htm
Picture
Sita Nakrek, widow of Piren Slan, attends a rally at the Central Shaheed
Minar in Dhaka yesterday to protest the killing of her husband in fire
from forest guards and police and the Modhupur forest eco-park plan that
the Garos fear will threaten their traditional lifestyle. PHOTO: STAR