On 17 February 2011, the Bengali settlers backed by Border Guards of Bangladesh attacked the indigenous people at Longadu leaving at least 2 indigenous people seriously injured. The aim of the attack was to drive out the indigenous Chakma Buddhists and grab their land. A Chakma family pick up the pieces after the house was burnt down by the settlers.

Bengali settlers attempt to grab 400 acres of indigenous owned land in Lama

In May 2011 Chairman Nuru and Mohammad Shamshu, brother of ex-chairman, attempted to grab 400 acres of indigenous owned land in Phaitong Mouza under Lama upazila of Bandarban district. Already, 20 acres of indigenous owned forest have been destroyed. When the villagers resisted the move, the land grabbers filed a GD (General Diary) with Lama police station.

In 1980, the district administration leased out 120 acres of land in Phaitong Mouza to a settler Mr. A. A. Sultan Ahmed for horticulture. However, the authorities canceled his lease as per CHT Accord as he failed to use the land within stipulated 3 years time from the date of lease. Adjacent to the said land are registered in the names of Tripura and Marma communities of Jaditung Para village.

Mohammad Shamshu, brother of ex chairman Rafiq, and Nuru, chairman of Harbang Union Council, are now trying to capture community land and lands belonging to the indigenous people. Besides practicing slash and burn cultivation, indigenous villagers have now taken to horticulture.

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