CHT news from Bangladesh

Military conducts house searches in Kawkhali

Hill Watch Human Rights Forum
NEWS No. 03/2007, April 16, 2007

Members of the Bangladesh military have conducted
targeted house searches in Kawkhali under Rangamati
district.

The searches were carried out in the villages of
Hajachari and Shuknachari by a group of army personnel
led by Subedar Nurul Huda from Panchari camp
yesterday, 15 April. It lasted about 4 hours from
10:30 am to 2:30 pm.

The Jummas whose houses have been searched include
Rabi Chandra Chakma, a member of the UPDF, in
Hajachari village and Lakshmi Lal Chakma and Amit
Chakma in Shuknachari village.

There were none in the houses when searches were
carried out. The adults and sometimes the whole
village usually flee into the jungle when they see the
army coming in the direction of their villages.

In the house of Rabi Chandra Chakma the soldiers
entertained themselves with biscuits and banana stored
for his 4-year-old son Bhalettya Chakma. They also
took away his wife's new hand bag.

Army raids and house searches are still common in most
of the CHT. The HWHRF also received the following
reports on house searches in Kawkhali:

28 March 2007
On the night of 28 March 2008 a group of army
personnel from Talukder Para camp in Kawkhali searched
the houses of Binimoy Chakma, Etu Chakma and
Bipikachong Chakma in Talukder Para village of
Kawkhali under Rangamati district.

The soldiers harassed the inmates of the houses and
took away Taka 700 from the house of Binimoy Chakma
and Taka 400 each from the houses of Etu Chakma and
Bipikachong Chakma.

28 February 2007
At around 8am army personnel from Talukderpara camp in
Kawkhali, Rangamati led by Major Yasin raided the
house of UPDF activist Rabi Chandra Chakma in the
village of Hajachari.

The soldiers searched his house and found some party
documents which are available for the public. As he
was not at home during the search, the army personnel
threatened his wife to show his whereabouts and
shouted: "tell us where your husband hid the
firearms."

The army personnel took away Taka 1,500, books, kit
box of a pump machine, two bags, one shirt, one pants,
one waist belt, one lungi, under garments, his 3-years
old son Bhalettya's vaccine card, household items and
some photographs.

The army also took village head's son Moroccha Chakma
to the camp. However he was released later.

4 March 2007, Sunday
A group of army personnel led by Subedar Nurul Huda
from Talukderpara camp in Kawkhali under Rangamati
district searched the houses of ex-UPDF activist
Amrita Lal Chakma, Joy Kumar Chakma, Tatto Chakma and
Nirmal Chakma at Talukderpara.

17 March 2007, Saturday
Army personnel led by Talukderpara Panchari army camp
commander Nurul Huda in Kawkhali under Rangamati
district picked up Nirmal Chakma from his home in
Panchari village. He was taken to the camp and was
interrogated about the whereabouts of the UPDF
members.

In the evening he was handed over to the local UP
members and village elders.

28 March 2007, Wednesday
Army personnel led by Talukderpara Panchari army camp
commander Nurul Huda in Kawkhali under Rangamati
district searched the house of Sunder Mohan Chakma in
Dhebhachari village in the name of investigating an
incident of robbery, which was committed in his house
on 22 March. The soldiers stole Take 300 during the
search.

29 March 2007, Thursday
At around 10 am a group of 10-15 army personnel led by
Nurul Huda, commander of Talukderpara Panchari camp in
Kawkhali under Rangamati district, carried out search
operations in the village of Talukdarpara (west side).
The soldiers broke into the houses and stole Taka 700
from Binimoy Talukder, Take 400 plus from Tontu Chakma
and Taka 400 from Ripika Chakma during the searches.
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