It is a remote place in every sense of the word. Reaching it by land is a herculean task as it takes nearly seven days to get there from Rangamati Sadar Upazila. One has to walk almost all the way through the hills.
Sonapoti Chakma, described as a sprightly young girl by her acquaintances, is a resident of this village. She tied the knot with Doyamoy Chakma of the locality and the couple was expecting their first child last month.
She went into labour on December 30, the day the nation was busy with its national election. Her family contacted the local midwife, but her child could not be saved due to the lack of medical facilities and treatment.
The mother’s life was hanging precariously in the balance. When all hope had seemed lost, her family rushed to the local outpost of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) desperately looking for help. The sentinels wasted no time and contacted the army.
Within hours, the army, with the assistance of Bangladesh Air Force, airlifted Sonapoti to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Chattogram. She has made it through.
“Her child was lost because we don’t have any medical facility near the village,” said Dumdumma Union Parishad Chairman Shantiraj Chakma. “She survived thanks to the army. May be the child would have survived too had we been able to contact them earlier.”
The case of Sonapoti is not unique in receiving the army’s help. There are many, for example, Bangladesh women’s football team member Chathuima Marma and Lakshmichhari Police Station’s Constable Mongjoy Chakma.
Recently, a man and his son, suffering from an unidentified disease, received financial assistance from the army’s Rangamati region who also made arrangements for them to travel to India for treatment.
The men in uniform also came forward with humanitarian assistance when nearly 30 families of Khagrachhari’s Durchhari area had diarrhoea.
“We’re doing whatever we could to help people,” Colonel Md Nazim-ud-Daula told UNB. “We’re just following our motto – in war, in peace, we’re everywhere for our country.”