‘Vested groups behind violence in the hills’

Three advisers, who visited Rangamati and Khagrachhari yesterday, have pointed out that vested groups are trying to destabilise the situation in the hills with a view to putting the interim government in an awkward position.
Urging everyone to remain vigilant, they assured the locals of forming a high-level committee to investigate all incidents that took place between Wednesday and Friday, and bringing the wrongdoers to book, said a release of the Chief Adviser’s Office yesterday.
The recent violence in the Chattogram Hill Tracts has left four people dead.
Tension was prevailing in Rangamati and Khagrachhari yesterday as vehicles were off the roads and waterway transport services remained suspended amid a 72-hour road and waterway blockade enforced by indigenous protesters under the banner of Jummo Chhatra-Janata Parishad. The blockade began on Friday evening protesting the violence.
Markets, shops, and other businesses were shut in the two districts towns as Section 144 was imposed on Friday prohibiting assembly of five or more people.
Several vehicles were vandalised in Rangamati during Friday’s violence, said transport owners.
Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Local Government Adviser AF Hassan Ariff, and CHT Affairs Adviser Supradip Chakma visited the two hill districts yesterday. They discussed law and order with the locals and the government officials concerned.
They also met local political leaders, eminent personalities, representatives from business and trade bodies, media outlets, law enforcement agencies and district councils of Rangamati and Khagrachhari.
The advisers said the onus is on the local leaders to maintain harmony and peace and they must play their due role.
Law enforcement agencies have been asked to show maximum restraint, they said.
They warned that attacks on the places of worships would not be tolerated.
They said that treatment of all the injured will be ensured and the military hospitals will be made available for this purpose, if needed.
Speaking to reporters in Rangamati and Feni, Local Government Adviser Ariff and ICT Adviser Nahid Islam yesterday expressed suspicion that the recent violence in the hills was the result of a “conspiracy”.
The home adviser, local government adviser, and CHT affairs adviser had a meeting with local government officials and the representatives of security forces at the Bangladesh Army’s base in Rangamati around noon.
“[In the meeting,] everyone was saying that a conspiracy was hatched from abroad to disrupt harmony,” Ariff told reporters after the meeting.
He said everybody demanded formation of an independent probe body.
Home Adviser Jahangir said a high-level probe body comprising some senior officials will be formed to probe the recent violence.
“No one will be spared. Those found involved in trying to incite violence will face stringent punishment. We will not allow any deterioration in law and order situation,” he said.
Talking to reporters during his visit to some flood-hit areas in Feni’s Chhagalnaiya upazila, ICT Adviser Nahid yesterday said attempts were made to worsen law and order in the country.
“There is a long-standing problem in the CHT region and we will have to solve it ourselves,” he said.
Meanwhile, Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, while briefing reporters at his ministry, yesterday said he did not know anything about any conspiracy from abroad to create unrest in the CHT.
Violence broke out in two hill districts following the death of a Bangalee named Md Mamun in a mob beating. He was accused of stealing a motorbike in Khagrachhari town on Wednesday morning.
The following day, at least 30 houses and businesses belonging to indigenous people came under arson attacks in Khagrachhari’s Dighinala upazila.
On Friday, four people were killed and at least 72 others injured as violence flared up in Rangamati town and Khagrachhari’s Dighinala and Sadar upazilas.
[Our staff correspondent from Chattogram and district correspondent from Rangamati contributed to this report]