At least 17 houses belonging to the Christian Tripura community were allegedly set ablaze on Christmas Eve night at Sarai Union in Lama upazila, Bandarban, reported the Daily Star.
The arson attack left the residents, who were away in a nearby village for prayers and Christmas celebrations, homeless and devastated.
According to victims, the miscreants targeted the new Tongjhiri Tripura Para, where the community had rebuilt their homes after being displaced several years ago.
Locals reported that 17 out of 19 houses in the village were completely gutted, leaving little to salvage.
History of displacement
Tongjhiri has long been home to the Tripura community, but residents alleged they were forcibly evicted several years ago and claimed that the land on which they were living, had been leased to the wife of a high-ranking police officer during the Awami League regime.
Paisapru Tripura, the head of the community, told the outlet, “We have been living here for three or four generations. A group of people, identifying themselves as ‘SP’s men,’ evicted us four to five years ago.”
The community returned and rebuilt their homes following the fall of the Awami League government.
Gungamani Tripura, one of the victims, shared his anguish, “Our houses have been completely burned to ashes. We could not save anything. Today is supposed to be our happiest day, but this has turned into a nightmare. We demand exemplary punishment for the criminals.”
Authorities respond
Md Idris, chairman of Sarai Union Parishad, confirmed about the incident, adding that 17 houses were destroyed. Acting Lama Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), Ruppayan Deb, visited the site and provided initial relief, including a blanket and a sack of rice for each affected family.
“I have asked the families to file a written complaint,” Ruppayan Deb said. “We will coordinate with the deputy commissioner and the upazila project implementation officer for further action”, Deb added.
Md Enamul Haque Bhuiyan, inspector (investigation) of Lama Police Station, noted that land disputes in the remote area have been ongoing, with complaints and counter-complaints of land grabbing reported since August 5. He assured that law enforcement is working diligently to identify the perpetrators and conduct a fair investigation.
