Indigenous people in Naniarchar upazila of Rangamati are suffering from lack of food, shelter and warm clothes as they are yet to receive adequate compensation after the recent attack by local Bangalee settlers.
They are living a measurable life since the attack was made in their locality at Suridas Para on December 16.
Fifty-four indigenous houses were reduced to ashes while seven shops and a Buddhist temple were vandalised during the attack. But Rangamati Deputy Commissioner Mostafa Kamal yesterday claimed that each of the families was given 20kg rice and 15 of the damaged houses were being rebuilt.
“The process to repair 16 more houses is also underway,” he said.
Kamal also claimed that the total number of houses and shops damaged in the attack was 31. Victims of the attack, however, said they were yet to see any rebuilding efforts, and were still living under the open sky.
“We burn woods and bamboos to make ourselves warm in cold. We got the rice but there is no reconstruction efforts,” said Chandra Manik Chakma, who is living with his family members in a tent supported by four bamboo poles.
The indigenous people also lifted the blockade on Rangamati-Khagrachhari link road yesterday for two days considering the woes of others.
Officials of Amra, a charity organisation, visited the afflicted area on December 18 and distributed Tk135,000 among 27 families. Its President Shayantani Twisha told the Dhaka Tribune the destruction was massive.
“This is a remote area and the people had no option to douse the fire when the arson attack was carried out. We do not have sufficient funds to support all the families but we tried our best and hope we can help more families later,” she added.
Some other charities also tried to raise funds on Facebook.
