On 8 June 2017, Indian Buddhists and Hindus of Tripura protest the brutal communal attack on indigenous Chakmas Buddhists and Hindu tribals in Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT) by Bangladesh army backed Muslim settlers on 2 June 2017.

Indian Buddhists and Hindus protest the killing of indigenous people in Longadu

Agartala, 8 June 2017: Following the brutal communal attack on indigenous Jummas including Chakmas Buddhists and Hindu tribals in Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT) of Bangladesh by illegally settled Bengali speaking Muslims on 2nd June 2017, Chakma Buddhists and Hindu tribals took to the streets in several parts of India.

On Monday, Chakma Buddhists comprising monks and students staged peaceful protests in Bodh Gaya in Bihar. The protest led by Venerable Priyapal Bhikkhu, Founder & Chief Abbot, Chakma Buddhist Temple, Bodh Gaya condemned the attack and demanded security and justice for minority Buddhists in CHT.

Today, the Chakma National Council of India (CNCI), Tripura State Committee and Tripura Chakma Students Association (TCSA) organised a massive rally and protested in front of the office of the Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh along with Chakma Samajik Rajya Parishad and Tripura Separatist Party IPFT youth wing.

On 2nd June 2017, on the pretext of protest March for an alleged murder crime, instead of going to police station the Muslim Settler mob attacked the Chakma (Indigenous) villages under Langudu Sadar of Rangamati District of CHT and torched many houses selectively targeting the Buddhist households. The Muslim Settlers mob looted the households before setting them on fire as the Buddhist Chakma families fled by for their lives by then. It is learnt that a belligerent procession of the Muslim Settlers was organized from Battya Para of Longadu Upazila took to street under coverage of Bangladesh Army and Police forces at around 9.00 A.M. When the procession reached at Longadu upazilla headquarters the settlers from within the procession started looting, setting fire on the innocent indigenous houses and shops without any provocation. At this, More than 300 indigenous houses were burnt to ashes, many innocent indigenous people are missing 6 people were reportedly burnt to death and targeting the innocent people to loot.

The protest rally organised by the Chakma National Council of India, Tripura State Committee and Tripura Chakma Students Association have witnessed thousands of outraged participants comprising both Hindu Tripuris and Chakma Buddhists.

Submitting a memorandum to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Tripura unit of CNCI and TCSA stated that the Buddhist Community in India is sadden and enraged to learn that the racially and religiously motivated incident of killing, looting and arson were committed by illegal Muslim Settlers allegedly in connivance with Bangladesh Army and Police force in order to permanently uproot and eradicate the Buddhist communities from Chittagong Hill Tracts.

“We the people of India played a major role and immensely contributed in your struggle for the liberation of Bangladesh from the tyranny and atrocities of Pakistan, so that every citizen in your country could live with honour, dignity and rights irrespective of their race and religious belief. However, it has been observed that more heinous atrocities of targeted Killing of innocent Buddhists, Forcible Land grabbing of innocent Buddhist villagers, Rape of Buddhist women have been committed for decades, against the founding vision of your country as well as breaking all norms of human rights very often with alleged connivance of Bangladesh Army, Police force and Govt. Officials”, TCSA and CNCI Tripura Unit through the memorandum reminded the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

The following demands were made to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh through the Bangladesh consulate at Agartala:

1. To cause immediate action for the Safety and Security of Buddhist Chakmas, Hindus and other minorities and their properties.
2. To provide adequate compensation and rehabilitation to the victims.
3. Setup an Investigation Committee with representation from renounced Human Rights Activists from Indigenous community, UNPFII and Amnesty International.
4. Bring the culprits to book including those from Bangladesh Army and Police Forces and give exemplary punishment.
5. Immediately stop militarization of Chittagong Hill Tracts and withdraw armed forces from Chittagong Hill Tracts
6. To take immediate action for implementation of Peace Accord 1997.

Meanwhile, a separate deputation was made by the youth forum Tripura separatist Party before the Deputy High Commissioner Shakhawat Hossain. “ This is to express our serious concerns on the incident of large scale atrocities committed upon the innocent indegneious (tribals) people of Bangladesh in Chittagong Hill Tracts on June 2nd. “ This incident in heinous and barbaric attack on the minority tribal people by the religious majority fundamentalist with the sole objective of ousting the religious minority from Bangladsh Permanently”, said in the deputation.

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