Within 10/12 days, the mountain is heated again. The situation in the Chattogram Hill Tracts is becoming fragile. There is increasing ethnic violence, mistrust and hatred. What is the cause of frequent unrest and tension in the mountains? Who is responsible for these misdeeds? Knowing the answers to these questions is very important to tackle serious problems like racial resentment.
In particular, 27 years after the signing of the peace agreement, the resurgence of conflict and tension in the mountains is a matter of concern. A peace treaty was signed with an armed group. There are now 5/6 armed groups voicing various demands. What is more serious is that trivial or ordinary incidents, which can be settled through arbitration or litigation, are also taking the form of horrific group or communal riots.
Police and local sources said that soon after the incident, agitated people from both sides split into factions and started rehearsing at the headquarters. Aggressive slogans were chanted by both sides. In order to pacify the agitated crowd on both sides, many times government officials were also attacked. Section 144 was finally issued in all cases. After the incident, the situation was very tense for a few days. Common people on both sides and their houses and businesses are affected.
On October 1, the administration issued Section 144 after a teacher was beaten to death on charges of rape in the hill district of Khagrachari when tension broke out between the hills and the Bengalis. Army and police patrols have been strengthened to control the situation. After this incident, Pahari and Bengalis took a position facing each other at Khagrachari Sadar. Both sides took out separate processions. A few shops in Sadar's Mahajanpara were also vandalized. Apart from this, a house was set on fire.
Earlier on September 18, after a youth was beaten to death on the charge of stealing a motorcycle, there was a clash between the Pahari-Bengali communities. Then the deceased Mamun's wife filed a murder case against the absconding three Awami League leaders. Later Pahari-Bengali conflict spread around Mamun's death. On September 19, shops were set on fire at Larma Square in Dighinala. A person named Dhananjay Chakma died in the clash at Dighinala. On the night of September 19, two people, Rubel Tripura and Junan Chakma, were killed in the firing by law and order forces in Khagrachari Sadar. Due to this incident on September 20, there was a clash in Rangamati. There, shops and houses were set on fire. A person named Anik Kumar Chakma died. Section 144 was imposed in Rangamati and Khagrachari on September 20. It was later withdrawn. Five cases were filed in two districts in these incidents.
It needs to be noted that ethnic discontent and communal riots are not a matter of solution only through force. If there are seeds of violence, mistrust and hatred in the society, then it will grow. While it is possible for the law and order forces to establish peace temporarily, it is not possible to uproot the seeds of trouble. As a result, there are seeds of problems, so many unpleasant things are happening in the mountains.
The question is, who is responsible for these incidents and what are the reasons? It is necessary to know in order to solve the problem. We know that the Chittagong Hill Tracts were on an armed path after independence. Through the peace agreement in 1997, it progressed in a systematic way. It is definitely a political success. But peace and harmony are not established overnight when agreements are executed. For this, it is necessary to take appropriate initiatives, through which violence and mistrust among people will be reduced and stability will come.
The task of establishing communal harmony in the hills is neglected. As a result of the agreement, Pahari and Bengali leaders are intoxicated with various titles. No one came forward to establish social peace and harmony. All are fighting against each other from group and party political positions. As a result, the larger society is also divided. In the name of party, in the name of clan, in the name of nation, they do not retreat from facing each other because this division between them has not been removed.
The surprising thing is that despite the violence and communal riots in the hills, the political leaders could not hold hands for a single alliance rally. There was no all-party harmony march or march. Groups and groups live there with suspicion and mistrust of each other.
However, after the peace treaty, along with various political changes, social and cultural changes were also necessary. There was a need to organize dialogue between groups and parties. There was also a need for mutual understanding and exchange. Then the distance between the groups could decrease by reducing the violence and hatred.
It was the responsibility of political leaders, civil society and citizens society to create an environment of social and communal harmony and peaceful coexistence. It is depressingly noticeable that they are all so engrossed in the petty political interests of their respective groups and factions that no thought or effort for the overall welfare and peace of the society is seen from them at all. Walls of divisiveness have grown and often incidents of beatings or communal riots have taken place. As a result of which there is a huge loss of life and property of common people. And tension and violence are spreading in the hills. Common people's lives and livelihoods are being affected as a whole.
Promulgation of Section 144 after riots or taking the stand of law and order forces temporarily calms the situation, but it is not a permanent solution. It is not the case that after a few days there will be unrest and the government forces will go and establish peace will come rather, the whole matter is a matter of decision by the political leadership and depends on the attitude of the peaceful position of all socially. If the people of the society do not protect their lives and property by maintaining peace for their own sake, then it is not possible for any force to establish lasting peace. Permanent peace has to be established by those who live there permanently.
Even after so many years of peace agreement, the creation of communal riots and communal tensions in the hills cannot be accepted in any way. After a few days, the warlike behavior of the two sides is also not desirable. In particular, the deaths of civilians, damage to citizens' homes and shops are completely unacceptable. No sane person can accept the picture of medieval riots in a free country. Political and social leadership must come forward to break the walls of violence and mistrust and create an atmosphere of peaceful coexistence with all. Otherwise, if the social and political leadership spreads the poison of violence and hatred for the interests of small groups and parties, then the green mountain of peace will be burnt to ashes by mutual conflicts and conflicts, which will not be good and beneficial for anyone.
Dr. Mahfuz Parvez: Associate Editor, Barta24.com; Professor and Chairman, Department of Political Science, Chattogram University and Executive Director, Chattogram Center for Regional Studies, Bangladesh (CCRSBD).