Citizens including writers, artists, teachers, journalists and rights activists in separate statements on Wednesday demanded fair investigation into recent violence that took place in Rangamati and Khagrachari districts in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Condemning the violence, 234 citizens called for bringing those involved in setting fire to houses and shops, vandalism and killing to justice.
They also demanded the government to repair the houses, shops and other structures of the victims in the clashes between Bengalis and national minority communities in Rangamati and Khagrachari.
鈥榃e strongly urge the government to ensure peace and communal harmony in the hill areas,鈥� read the statement, demanding that the government should take effective steps to bring an end to violence in the CHT.
Referring to media reports, eyewitness and social media, they condemned the recent clashes that left four national minority people killed and about 200 houses, shops, and Buddhist temples burnt and vandalised in the hill districts.
Signatories to the statement included Dhaka University professor emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury, former DU professor Abul Kashem Fazlul Haq, 聽writer-translator Khaliquzzaman Elias, Islamic University former vice-chancellor Foyez Muhammad Sirazul Haque, writer Wasi Ahmed, writer-academic Salimullah Khan, writer-academic Azfar Hussain and film-maker Nurul Alam Atique.
Meanwhile, 44 citizens including rights activists in a separate joint statement also demanded immediate arrest of those involved in the killing.
They raised the five-point demand to ensure justice for the victims.
The demands included, fair investigation into all incidents, including the murder of four ethnic minority people in Khagrachari and Rangamati and giving exemplary punishment to those involved according to the law; ensuring adequate compensation for the families of the four killed people and the victims whose homes and shops were looted and set on fire and an end to any covert support or assistance from state agencies or other parties to anti-indigenous external groups to maintain peace and harmony in the hills.
The other demands were creating a roadmap to implement the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord completely after consulting with all stakeholders and arranging a roundtable with all stakeholders of the ethnic minority community and concerned members of civil society to prevent the recurrence of recent murders, looting, arson and other crimes.
Signatories of the statement condemned roles of the local administration and law enforcers as no one had been arrested yet in the violence.
Signatories of the statement included, human rights activist Sultana Kamal, social activist Khushi Kabir, lawyer ZI Khan Panna, Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzaman, lawyer Sara Hossain, photographer Shahidul Alam and writer Rahnuma Ahmed.
