Mohalchhari still desolate, panicky

Panicked and bewildered: Two girls of a Marma family standing in front of their destroyed houses at Babupara village in Mohalchhari. Villagers come to see their homesteads during daytime and leave for relatives' houses at sunset. The photo was taken on Friday. Photo: Star

During daytime, villagers come to guard their homesteads, but leave for relatives' houses before sunset, fearing fresh attacks as none of the attackers have been arrested even after filing of six cases so far.

Many of the villagers have moved to Rangamati and Khagrachhari towns.

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A group of newsmen during a visit to the area on Friday saw a few of the affected tribesmen raising their houses anew.

At least 20 tribesmen were injured and about 400 houses gutted in the August 26 attack and arson, allegedly by Bangalee settlers. About 2000 tribesmen have been made homeless in the attacks, according official data.

"We have lost everything and got no relief to build houses, and nothing to eat", said 70 year-old Mongsha Thoai Marma at Babupara village.

" I got only 35 bamboos from Santu Larma and his party men. Is it enough for raising a house?" Santu Larma is the chief of Parbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS)

Two of my sons fled home fearing arrest as police filed a case against some tribesmen after the incident, he added.

Mohalchhari Upazila Nirbahee Officer (UNO) Khizir Ahmed said, majority of the affected people did not return to their homes.

"We can't finalise the list of affected people as they are still staying away," he said.

He visited the affected area on Wednesday and Friday.

At Lemochhari village, this correspondent found no member of any of the 75 families. At Babupara village, two families were seen trying to raise thatched houses anew.

HSC (Higher Secondary Certificate) candidate Sunita Chakma was sifting through the ashes of their gutted house to find a photo of her father who died in 1995.

"How I'll buy books again?", Sunita lamented.

Sunita is afraid of settlers living at nearby Chongrachhari village. "I apprehend attack from them again".

At Lemuchhari, villagers were lazing around Potpoittya club and guarding their homesteads. They said they will return to their relatives' houses at sunset.

At the club, most of the people including some women and children were starving.

They said they are afraid as settlers are still at cluster villages in nearby hills. None of the settlers has been arrested despite filing of cases, they said.

"We will be in panic till the settlers are there", said Nituly Chakma.

Kisholoy Chakma who filed a case alleged that none of the "attackers" was arrested though a case was filed specifying names.

Meantime, two more cases one for murdering a child and the other for alleged rape of an indigenous woman have been filed against nine settlers, five persons dressed in khaki dress and one Rana Barua, police said. These raised the number of cases to six since the August 26 incident, he said.

Mohalchhari tribesmen do not come to Mohalchhari bazaar since the incident, said Belal Hossain, secretary of the traders association at the market.

An amount of Tk 30 lakh has been sanctioned by the Prime Minister for distribution among the affected people as house building relief.

When contacted, an army officer seeking anonymity said, "We hope to begin distribution of the money in a couple of day."

The UNO said the district administration has taken four months' preparation to supply rice and wheat among the affected people. The administration is distributing four kgs of rice to each adult and two kgs to others.