Ajit Karn
Bangladesh:8 persons were killed during a “shootout” between two armed groups in Bandarban’s Rowangchhari upazila on Thursday night, according to the Dhaka media and the police.
Officials believe the gunfight involved the United People’s Democratic Front (Democratic) and Kuki-Chin National Army, the military branch of Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF).
The bullet-riddled corpses were transported to the Bandarban Zila Sadar Hospital morgue, according to Abdul Mannan, officer-in-charge (OC) of Rowangchhari police station. After the autopsy, the corpses will be returned to the families, according to Dhaka media.
Locals reported hearing intermittent gunfire from Thursday evening to Friday morning. They asserted that the firefight occurred between the KNF and the United People’s Democratic Front. (UPDF-reformist).
The deceased are believed to be members of the Kuki Chin National Army (KNA), the armed branch of the KNF, based on an examination of their clothing. It is suspected that the opposition armed group stole the heavy firearms carried by the deceased.
The KNF alleged in a social media post that only seven individuals were killed in the gunfight. They blamed an unnamed reformist group for the incident, as reported by Dhaka media.
While the KNF is the armed wing of the Kuki Chin National Front, which harbors separatist aspirations, the original UPDF under Prasit Khisa has stated ‘complete autonomy’ for the CHT districts as its primary objective. The organization’s official stance on the CHT Accord ratified by the government of Bangladesh and the PCJSS in 1997 has been “skeptical.”
The UPDF (Democratic) has never elucidated its position or distanced itself from its founding principles. Personality differences are believed to be the cause of their division.
The number of fatalities reported on Thursday is the highest since the July 2020 incident, according to Dhaka media.
On March 12, members of the KNA opened fire on a patrol team in Rowangchhari upazila, Bandarban, killing a senior army warrant officer and wounding two other soldiers.
On March 15, KNF members kidnapped nine individuals who were working on a road in the Longthasi Jhiri region of Ruma, including Sergeant (Retired) Anwar Hossain.
The KNF claimed in a message dated March 18 that 30 members of the Bom community were detained by the joint forces between September 9 and March, and demanded their release, as reported by the Dhaka media.
Following the incident on Thursday, approximately 175 families from the neighborhood have sought refuge at Rowangchhari Government High School.
Manik Khiang, a shopkeeper in the Khamtam neighborhood, stated, “On Thursday evening, there was a shooting between two parties. In fear, many people fled their residences at that time. I have learned thus far that more than fifty families have fled their residences. Many of them have sought refuge in neighboring schools.”
At least 548 individuals from 132 families have sought refuge in Mizoram since November 15, 2017. 140 Marma women, men, and children fled Mulpi Para for Ruma Sadar on January 28, but returned to their residences on February 5, according to Dhaka media.
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In fear of the armed activities of KNF members, approximately 220 persons from 56 families in Barathli 4 Union of Rangamati’s Bilaichhari sought refuge in Tangchangya Reichha and Rowangchhari Sadar Upazila on March 10.
