DHAKA: The Bangladeshi military said on Friday troops opened fire after being shot at by a tribal group during ethnic violence in a remote border region, with authorities and witnesses saying four people were killed.

The remote Chittagong Hill Tracts region, which borders India and Myan­mar, has seen sporadic violence between tribal groups and newer Bengali-speaking arrivals from the plains over resources and access to land.

The latest violence was set off by the lynching of a Bengali-speaking man allegedly caught stealing a motorbike, according to local residents and Bangladeshi media.

In retaliation, shops and establishments owned by the tribal community were attacked and set on fire.

Bangladesh’s military said members of the United Peoples Demo­cratic Front (UPDF) rebel group “opened fire on an army patrol” as the tribal community, led by UPDF, tried to stop soldiers from ferrying a dying man to hospital.

“In retaliation, they (soldiers) fired back, leading to the deaths,” a military statement said.

“Three people died and many were injured in the exchange of fire” between troops and the UPDF rebel group, the statement said, without specifying who was killed.

A witness, Naresh Tripura, said troops “opened fire” after the tribal community had gathered in Khagrachhari district on Thursday to protest against an arson spree targeting their properties.

Khagrachhari police chief Md Arefin Jewel said two people in the district had been shot dead, but the source of the gunfire was “unclear”.

A third person was killed by a “sharp object”, he said. He said the situation was “now under control” in Khagrachhari.

The violence also spilled over to neighbouring Rangamati district, where one person was killed, bringing the toll to four in the region.

‘Deeply saddened’

Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus said his government was “deeply saddened and distressed by the ongoing attacks, and loss of lives, death of an individual after a mob attack”.

“All the incidents related to violence will be investigated and the responsible individuals will be brought to justice,” he added in a statement.

Rebel groups fought a decades-long battle for a tribal homeland in the Chittagong Hill Tracts before signing a peace deal in 1997.

Despite the treaty and the withdrawal of most troops from the region, unrest has continued as tribal groups demand key clauses of the deal be implemented, including dismantling settlers’ villages and army camps.

The UPDF is an armed group that rejected the deal and continues its battle for regional autonomy and the winding up of military bases.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2024