Bangladesh News: Atrocities against minorities are not stopping in Bangladesh. This time people from the Christian community have been targeted. Around 17 houses belonging to the Christian Tripura community were allegedly set on fire in Sarai Union of Lama upazila of Bandarban on Christmas eve. Residents who had gone to a nearby village to pray and celebrate Christmas were left homeless and devastated by the arson incident.
According to media reports, the attack took place late on the night of December 25, when the residents of the village had gone to the neighboring village for prayers, as there is no church in their village. The families were at a church in Tongjiri Para for Christmas prayers at around 1 am on Tuesday night when unidentified people set fire to their makeshift homes. Local people said that 17 out of 19 houses in the village were completely burnt to ashes.
Expressing his anguish, Gungamani Tripura, one of the victims, said that our houses have been completely burnt to ashes. Couldn’t save anything. The villagers have been accused of grabbing land from the people who had earlier removed them and settled them in the village. Mohammad Enamul Haq Bhuiyan, inspector (investigation) of Lama police station, said complaints and counter-complaints of land grabbing in remote areas were being received after the fall of Sheikh Hasina government on August 5. The police officer said no formal complaint has been registered in connection with the incident and action will be taken once a complaint is received.
Victim family forced to live under open sky
It is said that the victim’s family has been living in Tongjhiri Tripura Para area for many generations. It is alleged that these people were forcibly removed from their homes a few years ago, when some people claimed that the area was given on lease to the wife of a police officer and she had planted trees there. However, after the fall of the Awami League government, they returned to the village and started living in temporary houses. However, after the attack, the victims are now living under the open sky.
