On 15 March 2015, Bangladeshi security forces attacked indigenous peple in Dighinala. Indigenous people were demostrating against construction of BGB headquarter at Babuchara in Dighinala. At least 8 indigenous people were injured in the attack.

Bangladeshi security forces attack indigenous people in Dighinala

On 15 March 2015, Bangladeshi security forces attacked indigenous peple in Dighinala. Indigenous people were demostrating against construction of BGB headquarter at Babuchara in Dighinala. At least 8 indigenous people were injured in the attack.

The indigenous people under the banner of Dighinala Land Protection Committee were marching towards the under-construction Babuchhara battalion headquarters of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). They were barred in at least 4 spots by the combined security forces having members of the Bangladesh army, BGB, police and Ansar.

Army personnel fired at least 20 rounds of bullets to disperse the indigenous people, who pelted stones and bricks, and used catapult against the law enforcers during the clashes.

Boalkhali Ashram’s teacher Arun Shanti Chakma and another unidentified day labourer were picked up during the daylong clash. Bangladesh army men had tortured at least 2 indigenous people- Subikash Chakma and Tridib Chakma. 6 other indigenous people including Shushil Bikash Chakma, Rabi Ranjan Chakma and Lalon Chakma were also injured.

Sajek Land Protection Committee, Sajek Women’s Society, Uzo Bazar Protection Committee, Pahari Chhatra Parishad and Democratic Youths’ Forum participated in the march demanding relocation of the BGB headquarters and withdrawal of the false case filed against the indigenous people last year.

Later in the day, Dighinala Land Protection Committee Convener Poritosh Chakma in a statement announced daylong transport strike in Dighinala for today protesting the attack of security forces, torture and gunshots on the demonstrators. He demanded that the 21 families who had been evicted last year for the BGB headquarters defying a High Court status quo be given back their land.

On 14 May 2014, BGB personnel took position in Dighinala’s Jatna Kumar Karbari Para and Shoshi Mohon Karbari Para and forcibly evicted 21 indigenous families on June 10, 2014. At that time 18 locals mostly elderly women were injured. The BGB later filed a case against 150 people. Police arrested a number of indigenous people in the case.

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