Two unarmed tribals lost their lives, while another, sustained injuries during a joint operation conducted by the Bangladesh Army and the controversial vigilante group, Mukosh Bahini.
The incident unfolded at Mahalchari under the Khagrachari district of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) at about 6:30 am on Wednesday morning.
The deceased have been identified as Bimal Chakma and Rabi Kumar Chakma. Injured Tipan Chakma has been reported missing since the incident.
Bangladesh media reports claimed that all three were members of the CHT-based, rebel outfit United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF).
Reportedly, the Bangladesh Army, acting under the directives of Mahalchari Zone Commander Lt. Col. Md Shahriar Safkat Bhuyan, surrounded a group of villagers and fired indiscriminately on them.
Meanwhile, the Chakma Development Foundation of India (CDFI) has swiftly responded to the incident, urging the intervention of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (UN DPKO).
The foundation singled out Lt. Col. Bhuyan and his superior, Brigadier General Sharif Mohammed Amaan Hussain, the district commander of Khagrachari, and urged for a ban on their deployment.
“Only yesterday, more than a dozen Australian senators and members of parliament wrote a letter to the United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix urging the UN to stop Bangladesh’s participation in the UN Peacekeeping missions given the widespread allegations of extrajudicial killings, human rights violations, and pervasive suppression of the political opposition. The time has come for the UN DPKO to prohibit Bangladesh Army from the UN Peace Keeping Missions as the Bangladesh Army has intensified the killing of the tribals once again,” stated Mr. Tejang Chakma, director of the CDFI.
The incident prompted calls for the Bangladesh Army to be held accountable and for an immediate halt to alleged human rights abuses.
The UN hasn’t responded, as of the time of filing this report.
