Tourists who travel through the Thanchi-Alikadom road remain in panic as incidents of kidnap and murder have increased alarmingly nowadays.
Local sources said several numbers of terrorist groups are involved in the killing and abduction of tourists as well as local people, much to create tension among the personnel of law enforcing agencies.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Thanchi-Alikadam Road, the highest road of the country, on July 14, last year.
As the road is about 2,500 feet above from sea level, the Mro National Party and the Parbatya Chottogram Jonosonghoti Samity have have increased its criminal activities on the road.
On Saturday night, a group of terrorists kidnapped three people – Sahabuddin, Abu Bakkar and Absar Ali – while they were going to a cattle market. They were yet to be rescued till filing of the report yesterday night. Police arrested a youth namely John Tripura in this connection.
Officer-in-Charge of Thanci police station told the Dhaka Tribune that they had come to know that a Tripura-based terrorist group abducted them.
On December 31, last year, police recovered the bodies of two people who belonged to a terrorist group. Then, police said they were killed during a gun battle with a rival group.
On January 2, police recovered the body of a labourer who was kidnapped by the members of the Mro Natinalist Party.
The following day, police recovered the body of a member of Mro Nationalist Party. Police said he was killed over internal feud.
Sing Yong Mro, a member of Parbattya Zila Parishad, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had been aware of increasing criminal activities centring the road, but did not know which group were involved in the activities.
Alamgir Hossain who went to Bandarban yesterday said: “I wanted to see the road as it is the highest road in the country, but now I am feeling unsecured to go there with my family.”
With inauguration of the road, a new horizon has been opened up for the people of South-Eastern region in the country’s hill area as it reduced around 40 kilometre road connection between Bandarban and Cox’sBaza and Tanci-Alikadam-Cox’sBazar, but the recent criminal activities centring the road has put the tourists plus local people in a grave anxiety.
According to sources, Road and Highway Department started the construction work of the road in 1991 with a cost of Tk80 crore.
Later, the construction work was handed over to Engineers Construction Battalion of Bangladesh Army. They started work with full speed but it stopped in 2006 due to fund crisis. In 2010, the army started the work again with a cost of Tk120 crore.
The panoramic views surrounding the road could be a great tourists’ attraction, but the recent killings and abductions in the area are discouraging travelers to visit the spot.
Dilip Kumar, deputy commissioner, told the Dhaka Tribune that the incidents of kidnapping was separate, but law enforcers are still in vigilance, so there was no problem for tourists and they could visit the place without any fear.
At least 79 members of two separatist militant groups Mro National Defensive Party and Mro National Party surrendered their arms on November 6, last year after 18 years of signing the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Treaty.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
