RETURN FROM KHAGRACHHARI: A total of 84 indigenous people from 21 families have been living at classrooms of Babuchhara High School for around a month after they were “evicted” from their own land at Babuchhara in the district.   

“We had been evicted from our land in 1960 then in 1986 for the second time and again on June 10 in 2014 by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB),” said Premodini Chakma, 75, who received bullet injury in a clash with law enforcers.

The indigenous people claimed they had to take shelter at the school carrying only the clothes we had on. “We could not bring our clothes, household materials, or even our domestic animals and harvested crops,” said Sudarshana Chakma, who has been living in this school after the clash.
 
On June 10, at least 23 people were injured in a clash between law enforcers and indigenous villagers over setting up of a new BGB battalion office at Babuchhara under Dighinala upazila in the district and following the clash some 84 people were living at the Babuchhara High School.

They claimed that the BGB members and policemen jointly attacked them and opened fire that left 23 people injured

On the spot visit, it was found that the people, from Shashi Mahan Karbaripara and Jatna Mahan Karbaripara, were living in inhumane conditions without having proper food, clothes, medical facilities and even proper sanitation.

Santash Kumar Chakma, a leader of Shashi Mahanpara, locally known as ‘Karbari’, lamented: “We cannot even harvest our own paddy field and when we try to go to our house to bring back our materials, the BGB members halt us.”

As per the document of the district administration, the government started acquiring the 45 acres of land from 2005 with a view to setting up the Babuchhara BGB-51 Battalion Headquarters at Dighinala Mouza, where some 13.90-acre land was private land and 31.10 acre was khashland.

Regarding the issue, Khagrachhari Deputy Commissioner M Masud Karim said, “Some 10 indigenous people filed a writ petition with the High Court in 2005 and that is why the government started acquiring only 29.81 acre that included 2.20 acre of private land and 27.61 acre of khashland.”

He added: “But the government did not acquire a primary school set up on a 2-acre area inside the acquired land.”

On the spot visit, it was found that the primary school remained closed after the clash took place on June 10.

Besides, the indigenous people claimed that they used to live in the land for long years. The government acquired the land to evict them.

Mrinal Kanti Chakma, who is now living at the school with his family, said, “We had been living at Babuchhara for generation after generation. During the insurgencies in 1986, hundreds of families became refugees in Tripura of India.”

He added: “After the peace accord inked in 1997, we returned to our land upon an agreement that said the land will be given us back.” “Besides, we are yet to get back our land and for this, we have been living and cultivating on this land in a tensed situation. Now, for the second time, we have been evicted from our land,” he lamented.

Regarding the issue, the local people’s representatives said they are not against to set up BGB Headquarters in the area but it should have been on an undisputed land. They also claimed that border area is far from Babuchhara so the Battalion can be set near any suitable undisputed land.

Regarding the matter, Bishwa Kalyan Chakma, Chairman of Kabakhali Union Parishad, said, “During 1977-79, I used to live my relative house, which was situated on the 45 acre land. At the time, there were over 30 families and a Kyong, a religious house.

He added: “During 1986-89, many families were forced to leave their land and go to India. After they left, an army camp was established in the area in 1986.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Masud Karim claimed that there was no any household in the area a year ago rather they set up some new houses with a view to getting compensation. 

Masud Karim also alleged that some local political parties are trying to make the situation worse by using the issue of land acquisition.

Dighinala Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) submitted a report to the DC office that said the present law-and-order situation is normal. “But it is thought that United Peoples Democratic Front (UPDF) along with some local political parties is trying to make the situation worse using the land acquisition issue,” it added.

Meanwhile, UPDF Central Member Debadanta Tripura denied the allegations. He claimed that the government and the BGB were blaming the UPDF to bypass their own responsibility and secure their own interest.

Khagrachhari Hill District Council (KHDC) Chairman Chaithow Aong Marma said they would take initiative to provide compensation to indigenous people who took shelter at the school. 

However, the indigenous people said they did not want compensation rather they want their land.

BDST: 2032 HRS, JUL 03, 2014