United News of Bangladesh

Students from various ethnic communities staged a protest rally in Khagrachhari on Sunday demanding the release of five Chittagong University (CU) students who were abducted from the Giriful area of the district town five days ago. They also demanded justice for the recent rape of girl of an ethnic community in Rangamati’s Kaukhali upazila. Under the banner of ‘Khagrachhari Adibasi Chhatra Samaj’, the demonstrators marched from Chengi Square and paraded through Shapla Chattar, Adalat Road, and ended their rally in front of the court premises. A protest meeting was held there, chaired by Tushon Chakma. Speakers included Sujon Chakma Zhimiti, president of the Pahari Chhatra Parishad; Ukkyanu Marma of the Bangladesh Marma Student Council; Akash Tripura, president of Tripura Students' Forum (Sadar unit); former CU student Rahel Chakma; and student leader Maya Chowdhury, among others. Human chain protests ‘baton charge by army’ on medical students in Sunamganj The speakers demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted students and swift justice for the rape victim. They alleged that the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) was involved in creating unrest in the Chittagong Hill Tracts by disrupting peace and engaging in abduction-related activities. They urged the UPDF to refrain from such heinous acts and return to a peaceful path.

Five Chittagong University students and a battery-run auto-rickshaw driver, abducted in Khagrachhari on Wednesday, remain missing as a joint force led by the Bangladesh Army continues rescue operations. Khagrachhari Superintendent of Police Mohammad Arefin Jewel said a regional armed group operating in the hills might be involved in the abduction. "We are using mobile tracking technology to locate them and working on all possible leads to rescue the abducted individuals," he said. The six victims, including Rishan Chakma, a student of International Relations at Chittagong University and a leader of the CU unit of the Pahari Chhatra Parishad (PCP), were abducted at gunpoint from the Giriful area of Khagrachhari Sadar early Wednesday morning, according to Nipun Tripura, president of the PCP, a student wing of the Parbatya Chattogram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) backed by Santu Larma. He said the students had travelled to Baghaichhari in Rangamati to attend the traditional Baisabi festival and were returning to Chittagong University via Khagrachhari. As they failed to secure bus tickets on Tuesday, they stayed overnight at the home of a relative in the Kukichhara area of Khagrachhari Sadar upazila. PCP accuses UPDF of abducting 5 CU students in Khagrachhari "On Wednesday morning, they were on their way back to Chittagong in a battery-run auto-rickshaw when they were forcibly picked up from the vehicle in the Giriful area. The driver was also abducted," he said. He alleged that members of the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) [Prasit group] were responsible for the abduction. However, Angya Marma, Khagrachhari district organiser of the UPDF (Prasit group), denied the allegation. “We have no involvement in the abduction. This kind of vindictive politics is not our way. We always advocate for an end to fratricidal conflicts. Some quarters are trying to implicate us through conspiracies,” he said.

Gunmen abducted five students from Chittagong University (CU) and a local auto-rickshaw driver on Wednesday morning in the Giriful area of Khagrachhari. After the abduction, the Pahari Chhatra Parishad (PCP) claimed that members of the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) carried out the abduction. The students were returning from the Chittagong Hill Tracts after attending the traditional Biju Festival when the incident took place. Ribek Chakma, Information and Publication Secretary of the CU unit of PCP, issued a press statement accusing the UPDF of involvement. The PCP demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the students and the driver in sound health. Man to die for violating daughter in Chuadanga It also urged the Chittagong University administration, the Khagrachhari district administration, and other authorities to take prompt action in this regard. Angya Marma, Khagrachhari district coordinator of the UPDF (Prosit group), denied the allegation. “We have always opposed fratricidal conflict and internal violence. We had no involvement in this incident. Linking the UPDF to it is part of a conspiracy,” he said. Abdul Baten Mridha, officer-in-charge of Khagrachhari Sadar Police Station, said they had heard about the incident from several sources but had not yet received a formal complaint. The abducted students were said to be Aldrin Tripura, a first-year student at the Institute of Fine Arts; Maitrimoy Chakma, a first-year student at the Institute of Fine Arts; Dibbyo Chakma, a first-year student in the Department of Drama; Rishon Chakma, a first-year student in the Department of International Relations; and Langgi Mro, a first-year student in the Department of Zoology. The students had gone to Baghaichhari in Rangamati to celebrate the Biju Festival with friends. As they failed to get bus tickets back to Chattogram, they stayed overnight at a relative’s house in the Kukichhara area, near Khagrachhari town. On Wednesday morning, they travelled by an auto-rickshaw towards Khagrachhari Sadar. Armed men allegedly intercepted the vehicle in the Giriful area and abducted all five students along with the driver.

Unfit open-top jeeps, locally known as "Chander Gari," continue to ply the hilly roads of Khagrachhari, defying government regulations and posing significant risks to passengers. Reckless driving by unskilled drivers often leads to accidents, particularly on the route to the popular Sajek Valley tourist destination. Most of these jeeps operate without licenses, fitness certificates, or road permits. Over the past one and a half months, accidents involving these vehicles have claimed at least five lives and injured more than 50 people. Despite this, an estimated 3,000 such jeeps are in operation across Khagrachhari’s tourist spots and inter-district roads. Local transport syndicates control the operation of these unfit vehicles, dictating fares for tourists through the Jeep Owners’ Association. Many travellers have expressed frustration over the unchecked irregularities, citing a lack of regulatory oversight.

Two people were killed and two others sustained serious injuries in separate road accidents in Lakshmipur and Khagrachhari on Friday morning. In Lakshmipur, a 25-year-old woman was killed and two others were injured when an auto-rickshaw lost control and collided with a stationary truck in the Zamindar Hat area on the Lakshmipur-Ramgati road. Nasima Akhter, wife of Abdul Barek from the Charsita area in Ramgati upazila, died on the spot, said Ramgati Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Kabir Hossain. Her elder sister, Farzana Akhter, and the auto-rickshaw driver were injured in the crash, which occurred around 10am, he added. Injured Farzana was taken to Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital and later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for further treatment. The body of Nasima Akhter has been kept at the hospital morgue, said Dr. Kamalashish of Lakshmipur Sadar Hospital. In another accident in Khagrachhari, a 24-year-old man died when a SUV overturned in the Rainyabari area of Bhai-Bonchhara Union under Khagrachhari Sadar. 25-year-old’s body recovered in Chandpur The deceased, Md. Monir Hossain, son of Md. Solaiman from Purba Muslim Para, died on the spot after being crushed by the vehicle, which lost control while climbing a hill, said Abdul Baten Mridha, officer-in-charge (OC) of Khagrachhari Sadar Police Station.

Usually vibrant with tourists during public holidays, the popular tourist destinations in the three hill districts now wear a desolate look after a recent directive by the authorities discouraging people from visiting the region. Tourism businesses in Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari are set to suffer huge losses as all bookings have been cancelled due to the restriction. District administrations asked people not to visit the hill districts from October 8 to31 citing “unavoidable reasons”, including safety concerns and the impact of recent natural disasters. Rangamati Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain Khan said the decision was made to ensure the safety of tourists, with hopes that the situation will normalise by the end of the month. “We have urged tourists not to visit Rangamati during this period. Later, travel can resume as usual,” he said. The travel restriction came at a particularly difficult time for the tourism sector. Hotel and resort operators had received advanced bookings for the Durga Puja holiday, the biggest religious festival of Hindus. Read: Government announces programs to mark World Tourism Day tomorrow However, he is optimistic that easing the restrictions could help the tourism sector recover from this crisis. “We are facing a major crisis,” said Ramzan Ali, a leaseholder at the boat dock operated by the Rangamati Parjatan Corporation. “The scenic Hanging Bridge was submerged due to recent rains and floods, and now we have this travel ban. We don't know how we will survive.” Md. Sultan, manager of Hotel Square Park, echoed similar concerns saying, “All the bookings have been canceled, and our hotels are empty. Normally, we are fully booked at this time of year,” he said. Local tourism associations have expressed deep concern over the economic impact of the travel ban. Ten organizations, including the Rangamati Resort Owners’ Association, the Houseboat Owners’ Association, and the Residential Hotel Owners’ Association, submitted a memorandum to the district administration calling for the government to lift the ban immediately. “We are facing severe uncertainty regarding our livelihoods. The ban sends a highly negative message to tourists and threatens to push the developing tourism sector in these regions to the brink of collapse,” they said in the memorandum. Read more: Sunamganj tourism suffers Tk 50 crore loss amid floods and ongoing situation Ten organizations, including the Rangamati Resort Owners’ Association, the Houseboat Owners’ Association, and the Hotel Owners’ Association, submitted a memorandum to the district administration calling for the government to lift the ban immediately. “We are facing severe uncertainty regarding our livelihoods. The ban sends a highly negative message to tourists and threatens to push the developing tourism sector in these regions to the brink of collapse,” they said in the memorandum. Adviser to Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Affairs Supradip Chakma recently said the ban would be lifted soon. “We are in talks with the Home Affairs adviser, and a decision will be announced shortly,” he said.

Thirteen arson attacks have been reported across Bangladesh from 6 am on Wednesday (November 08, 2023) till 9 am today (November 09, 2023) during the ongoing 48-hour blockade. Read: 21 arson incidents reported in 38 hrs till Monday evening: Fire Service Of these, five arson attacks were reported in Dhaka City Corporation areas, three in Gazipur, one in Khagrachhari, one in Bogura, two in Barishal and Barguna, and one in Noakhali, said Talha Bin Jasim, station officer of Fire Service and Civil Defense's media cell. A total of seven buses, four covered vans, and two trucks were burned during this period. Read: 7 incidents of arson occur Tuesday: Fire Service

The weekend melding with Christmas falling on Sunday this year, translating to a 'long weekend', has brought life to the country's tourism sectors including Sajek Valley. At the same time, it has also brought suffering to the tourists who have gone to enjoy the scenic beauty of Sajek valley. Thousands of holidaymakers of all ages have thronged to the hill district to enjoy the beauty of Sajek at Bagaichhori in Rangamati. Resorts are experiencing a room crunch as more tourists enter Sajek - already almost double its capacity! As a result, many tourists are forced to spend the night in cars or in mosques and local clubs. Sultan Mia, 28, who came with his family from Mymensingh and Ashraf Ali, a tourist from Netrakona, said that they had come because of their children's holidays. But there is no room vacant in any hotel due to the overflow of tourists, leaving them in great trouble. Alfred Lusai, the owner of two Sajek resorts (Neel Pahari and Morning Star), said that rooms were booked almost a month before Christmas. Today, many tourists can't get even a single room which is really sad, he added. Read more: Jhum fire destroying reserved forest in Sajek According to Sajek Resort Owners Association, almost 7,000 tourists entered Sajek on Saturday. The valley's 112 cottages can accommodate only 4,000. Many of the tourists who came here did not have advance bookings. As a result, many tourists returned in the afternoon due to lack of rooms for overnight stay, sources added. Those who stayed are passing the night by renting rooms on the verandas of various cottages and in the homes of local residents. Subrata Chakma, manager of Khasrang Hill Resort, said that the inflow of tourists started on Wednesday. No rooms are available at any resort currently, he added. Read more: Visit Sajek Valley: Amazing Hilltop Cottages, Resorts, to Spend Your Vacation

A 32-year-old woman and her eight-year-old daughter were electrocuted to death in Khagrachhari's Manikchhari Saturday. Kulsum Begum and her daughter Ishrat Jahan Koli were from the Shah Nagar area of Manikchhari. The mishap occurred in the evening as Kulsum and her daughter came into contact with a live wire of an electric pole while going to a nearby field to bring their cow back home, Manikchhari Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Shahnoor Alam said. Both the mother and daughter were rushed to Manikchhari Upazila Health Complex where they were declared dead on arrival, he added. Read more: Sixth-grader electrocuted in Kurigram  

A leader of a Chittagong Hill Tracts-based political group was shot dead allegedly by his rivals in Guimara upazila of Khagrachhari on Friday. The deceased was identified as Angthoi Marma alias Agun, 52, of the Guimara unit of United People's Democratic Front (UPDF). The crime occurred around 10am near the Dewan Para area of the upazila, said Md Rashid Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Guimara police station. Also read: Youth killed in gunfight between 2 UPDF factions in Khagrachhari According to locals, Marma was gunned down by a group of armed men while he was on his way to carry out the group's work. The body has been sent for an autopsy and the matter is under investigation, said OC Rashid. Also read: UPDF man shot dead in JSS-UPDF ‘gunfight’ in Rangamati