Guwahati, June 21: The Global Association for Indigenous Peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (GAIPCHT) has strongly condemned what it described as the illegal arrest and torture of 11 indigenous persons by the Bangladesh Army in two consecutive operations on June 19 and 20. The association has announced plans to raise the matter with the United Nations, including the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO).

According to a statement issued on Saturday, the GAIPCHT said the operations were staged to falsely portray innocent villagers as militants and enable army officers to secure promotions and international postings.

On June 19, army personnel under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Md. Masud Rana, Baghaichhari Zone Commander, reportedly detained two individuals—Suga Chakma (42) and Bindumoy Chakma (41)—near the 11-kilometre point on the Marishya–Dighinala road in Rangamati district.

They were accused of being members of the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF), a political organisation active in the Chittagong Hill Tracts that is not banned by the state.

The next day, June 20, a separate operation led by Major Md. Manjur Morshed, Deputy Commander of the Alikadam Zone, resulted in the arrest of nine individuals from Punarbason Chakma Para and Emmanuel Tripura Para villages in Lama Upazila, Bandarban district. The detainees were alleged to be members of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS), a group associated with CHT Regional Council Chairman Jyotirindra Bodhipriyo Larma, better known as Santu Larma.

Those arrested in Lama were identified as Ananda Mohan Chakma (72), Shantiram Chakma (33), Chatui Chakma (35), Shanti Ranjan Chakma (35), Kalparanjan Chakma (45), Jyoti Bikash Chakma (28), Pakhiram Tripura (31), Chhotiya Tripura (60), and Jewel Tripura (26). The Bangladesh Army claimed to have recovered improvised firearms, knives, mobile phones, and other materials from the detainees.

The GAIPCHT, however, has rejected the allegations against all 11 individuals, calling the arrests “fabricated” and “politically motivated.” It also alleged that the detainees were subjected to torture while in army custody before being handed over to local police.

“Nine hill people arrested at Lama are not members of the PCJSS, and the two arrested in Baghaichari are not affiliated with the UPDF,” said Suhas Chakma, Convenor of GAIPCHT.
“They were falsely presented before the media to boost the profiles of Lieutenant Colonel Md. Masud Rana and Major Md. Manjur Morshed for future UN peacekeeping deployments.”
Sanchay Chakma, GAIPCHT’s Country Representative in Switzerland, added that formal complaints would soon be lodged with relevant UN bodies to secure the unconditional release of those arrested and to block the involved officers from UN peacekeeping assignments.

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