60 indigenous families in fear of further attack

Indigenous people of Ishachhara punjee(village) in Moulvibazar's Kulaura upazila have started guarding their betel leaf gardens (paan jum) in a bid to resist any attempt to evict their families and grab their land.

General Dhar, headman of the punjee, said a person was injured and a chapel and several houses were ransacked when a gang of 50/60 armed men carried out attack at Ichhachhara on November 9, hours after authorities evicted a man from land. Due to the attack, the Christmas hardly bring any joy for 60 indigenous families.

Rafik Mia, son of Abdus Sattar of Tattiuli village in Karmadha union under Kulaura upazila, who recently lost a legal battle over ownership of a land to an indigenous villager, led the attack, said the headman.

Local priest Father Joseph Gomes OMI said Rafik Mia got angry after the administration evicted him from the land, which he had illegally occupied in the village of Indigenous people.

"This chapel is yet to be repaired. We demand justice for the attack," said Joseph Gomes, also the coordinator of Indigenous Environment Movement of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa) in Sylhet division.

Jasper Amlorong inherited Katabari Paan Jum from his family. He has been suffering from cancer for three years.

He said, Rafik grabbed it by force with fake documents. The administration was supportive to him as it is his only income came from the land.

Flora Bably Talang, general secretary of KUBORAJ (Kulaura, Barlekha and Rajnagar upazilas), an organisation working for the rights of indigenous people, said armed with sticks and divided into small groups, the indigenous people now guard their houses and betel leaf gardens night and day.

Robin Arjo, 48, a local of the punjee, said, "We have been living here for generations. Many Indigenous families earn their livelihood by growing crops on the land. Without this land, it would be impossible for them to survive."

Micheal Rangsa, another resident of Punjee, said, "We would like to live and die on this land they way our ancestors did. We will sacrifice our lives but won't move from here."

Jamal Marlia James, a resident of the punjee said, as Rafik continued threatening them to evict them from the land, they are guarding day and night to protect the land.

Contacted, Rafik Mia declined to make any comment about the allegations brought against him.

Kulaura Upazila Nirbahi Officer ATM Farhad Chowdhury said they have kept the matter of Katabari Paan jum under their strict observation.