Bangladesh: Iftekhar, 2 others injured in Rangamati attack

Dhaka, July 6, 2013 (New Age): Three people, including Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission member Iftekharuzzaman, also the Transparency International Bangladesh executive director, were injured as the commission’s motorcade came under attack in Rangamati on Saturday. The motorcade was attacked while Bengali settlers were demonstrating against the commission’s visit accusing the commission of being biased towards the hill people. Alongside Iftekharuzzaman, Rangamati Kotwali police station officer-in-charge Monu Sohel Imtiaz, who was escorting the commission members, and rights activist Ilira Dewan also sustained injuries when the attackers threw bricks on their vehicles. Ilira was given treatment at Rangamati Combined Military Hospital. The Bengalis under the banners of six organisations including Parbatya Bangali Chhatra Parishad and Parbatya Chattagram Sama-Odhikar Andolan were demonstrating against the commission’s visit to the hill districts, witnesses said. The protesters laid siege to Parjatan Motel where the commission members were staying and also blocked highways and waterways in Rangamati and Bandarban. ‘The protesters launched the attack all on a sudden as a vehicle carrying the commission members was leaving the motel for Rangamati district town under police escort,’ said the superintendent of police in Rangamati, Amina Begum. None was arrested in connection with the incident, Amina said, claiming that the situation was now normal. The Parbatya Chattagram Sama Adhikar Andolan coordinator, Moniruzzmaman Monir, said that ‘agitated mob’ might have attacked the car carrying the commission members. The commission team left Rangamati for Chittagong under police escort at about 3:00pm cancelling their programme in Rangamati and Bandarban, said the commission coordinator Hana Shams Ahmed. The six-member delegation of the commission already visited Khagrachari on July 3 to see if there were any incidents of human rights violation following the government move to establish Border Guard Bangladesh battalion headquarters at Dighinala. The team was scheduled to visit Rangamati and Bandarban also. Rangamati police, however, said the commission members were there as guests of Chakma Raja Debashish Roy to attend his wedding. Six organisations — Sama Adhikar Andolan, Parbatya Gana Parishad, Parbatya Nagarik Parishad, Parbatya Bangalee Chhatra Parishad, Parbatya Bangalee Chhatra Oikya Parishad, and Parbatya Sama Adhikar Chhatra Andolan — on Friday called 36-hour road and waterway blockade in Rangamati protesting against the commission’s visit. They withdrew the blockade after the commission returned to Chittagong.