Tension brewing in Dighinala over land grabbing, international pressure needed

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Tension brewing in Dighinala over land grabbing, international pressure needed
ShareThisMay 2 2008 | Views 1 | Comments (0) Leave a Comment

News No. 73/2008, May 2, 2008
Tensions have been building up for the last few months in Kobakhali, Merung and Chaar Mile in Dighinala Upazilla over land grabbing and open hostility may erupt any day, said a human rights activist. "The way settlers are grabbing Jumma's lands with the support of the army, there is strong possibility that incidents similar to the 20 April Sajek settler attack may happen any time" he said and added that vast areas of lands belonging to the Jumma people have already been taken away in these areas after destroying banana plantations, fruit trees, teak and bamboo orchards of the Jummas.
The settlers have built small huts like the ones in Sajek and are now dwelling therein. Some of the settlers told the investigative team of progressive Bengalis who visited Sajek on 27 April that they have been brought in from Betchari of Khagrachari and that they have houses there as well. The settlers said they had come to the new places under duress - on pain of forfeiting the right to receive food ration from the government. Jumma activists irrespective of party affiliation feel the need for international community to step up pressure on the government of Bangladesh to put a stop to its ethnic cleansing policy. ..............................

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