Bangladesh: Attack of ICHT Commission members condemned

Dhaka, July 7, 2014 (New Age): A number of organisations on Sunday condemned the attack on the motorcade of International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission and demanded immediate arrest of the attackers. The motorcade of the commission members came under attack on Saturday on their way to the hill tracts. Iftekharuzzaman, also Transparency International Bangladesh executive director, was injured in the attack in Rangamati when settlers were demonstrating against the commission’s visit accusing it of being biased towards the hill people. Several organisations, including Ganatantrik Juba Forum, Pahari Chhatra Parishad and Hill Women’s Federation, brought out a procession condemning the attack. They alleged the some ‘extreme-communal’ organisations lunched the attack under the patronisation of lawmen. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Hindu-Bouddha-Christian Oikya Parishad, Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti, lawmaker Usatan Talukder, councillor of CHT Regional Council in separate statements condemned the attack. They said such attack disclosed how much vulnerable the ethnic minorities were in the hill districts. They blamed the administration and law enforcement agencies for failing to ensure the security of the commission. In the statements, they demanded immediate implementation of the peace treaty.