Hartal in Rangamati, Khagrachhari Wednesday

An organisation of Bangali students in the Chittagong Hill Tracts has called a dawn-to-dusk shutdown in Rangamati and Khagrachhari districts for Wednesday protesting against the murder of a hired motorcycle driver by “indigenous criminals.” Parbatya Bangali Chhatra Parishad, an umbrella group of different parties which opposes the 1997 peace accord and demands equal rights on land in the CHT, has demanded immediate arrest of Sadikul Islam's killers and compensation for his family. Sadikul of Mohalchhari in Khagrachhari was abducted on April 10. His body was found buried at Rangamati's Naniarchar three days later. In a statement sent to media via email, Chhatra Parishad founder and Parbatya Nagarik Parishad Chairman Engineer Alkas Mamun Bhuiyan and Chhatra Parishad Convenor Md Abdul Hamid Rana called for the shutdown. The statement was signed by Nagarik Parishad Office Secretary Md Khalilur Rahman. Bangali Chhatra Parishad's Rangamati unit General Secretary Md Jahangir Alam said Sadikul was a member of their Mohalchhari upazila unit committee. Our correspondent states that the Bangali and indigenous communities trade blames whenever someone is murdered in the hill tracts. Chhatra Parishad earlier enforced daylong shutdown in Rangamati district on March 6 demanding quota for the Bangali students in Rangamati Science and Technology University (RCTU). They alleged that only the members of indigenous Chakma community had been getting admission at the university.