Bandarban Correspondent

Four people have been arrested in the incident of arson attack on Tripura community in Sarai Union of Lama upazila in Bandarban. The police revealed the news of these arrests yesterday, Thursday.

The name of former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed has come up in this incident. The name of the former IGP came up in the statements of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs adviser Supradip Chakma and headman (head of the Mouza) of the area Durjodhan Tripura.

The police have stated that four people named Stephen Tripura, 50, Masainia Tripura, 44, Joachim Tripura, 52, and Md Ibrahim, 65, have been arrested in connection to the incident of burning down houses.

Of them, Md Ibrahim used to be the caretaker of the land occupied under the name of Benazir Ahmed. All the arrestees are residents of Sarai Union. They had been arrested on Wednesday night.

Earlier on Tuesday night, there was a fire that burnt down 17 houses at Purbobetchhara Para area. All the residents of the community were at the church celebrating Christmas at that time. There were no people at the area. After the incident, a case had been filed on Wednesday night.

Deputy commissioner (DC) of Bandarban Shah Mojahid Uddin and superintendent of police (SP) Shahidullah Kaosar visited the Purbabetchhara Para on Thursday morning. They checked out the gutted down houses in the area and promised to rehabilitate the affected families.

Meanwhile, each of the victim families have been provided 10 kilograms of rice from the administration along with 50 kilograms of rice, pulses, oil, three blankets and other items from the Union Parishad.

Residents of Purbabetchhara Para, Gangamani Tripura and Chandramani Tripura told Prothom Alo that 19 families used to live at the community. Of them, houses of 17 families have been burnt down to ashes.  None of them could get anything out of their houses.

Some male members of the community are living in the two houses spared from the fire at night. The others have taken shelter in a neighbouring community.

WHAT’S BEEN LEARNT ABOUT THE FIRE

Karbari (chief) of the community Paisapru Tripura complains that members of the gang occupying land under the name of former IGP are the ones who have set the fire at the community.

Md Ibrahim who was the caretaker of the occupied land, often visited their community. Many of the locals used to move around with him. Earlier in November, residents of the community were threatened with an extortion demand of Tk 50,000.

Paisapru Tripura told Prothom Alo that under the name of the former IGP two police officers working in Chattogram along with several Awami League leaders from Lama and Sadar Uapzilas of Bandarban occupied 100 acres Jhum farming land from the residents of Tongo Jhiri Para and Sabichandra Para communities a few years ago.

When local Jhum farmers protested, they were threatened to be put in jail claiming the land of the garden to be owned by the then IGP and SP. The occupiers constructed a semi-concrete house on that land. Md Ibrahim used to work as the caretaker of that house. Apart from that, bricks had been laid to make a road to the garden from the district parishad.

In-charge of Daluchhari Mouza, Headman (chief of the area) Durjodhan Tripura stated that the district administration on 4 July took control of 25 acres of land in Bandarban Sadar upazila that had been occupied under the names of former IGP Benazir Ahmed and his family members.

The occupiers grabbing land under Benazir’s name left the land occupied in Purbabetchhara area at that time. After the land was freed from the control of occupiers, the community was set up there. However, no land in that area had been leased out under the name of the former IGP or anyone else. Nobody has any ownership either.

When asked, superintendent of police (SP) Shahidullah Kaosar told Prothom Alo, primarily it is being assumed that the houses have been set on fire in connection to the demand of extortion and over land dispute. While there are rumours about the former IGP occupying land in that area, no actual documents have been found though.

Meanwhile, the incident of the arson attack on Tripura community has been condemned by the press wing of the chief adviser. Condemning the incident, a post was published on the verified Facebook page of the chief adviser on Wednesday night. The post state that the people responsible for the incident will be brought justice.

Adviser for Chittagong Hill Tract Affairs Supradip Chakma has also condemned the incident. In a statement issued on Wednesday night he stated that those involved in the arson attack would not be spared under any circumstances. He also mentioned that the accomplices of the former IGP have carried out the attack.