The Chittagong Hill Tracts are still reeling from the vicious attack on election officials on March 18. Though the bodies have been laid to rest, the smoke has yet to clear, just like the reasons behind the attack.
The attack took place barely a 15 minute drive away from the 54 BGB Battalion camp, and also close to the abandoned army camp in Tin Tilla. The east side of the road is considered to be the stronghold of PCJSS (Santu Larma), while the west side is under the influence of PCJSS (MN Larma). The UPDF (Democratic) is also rumoured to be in the area, and have been accused of gun attacks close by in the recent past.
What is known is that the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) and the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) are both trying to establish their dominance in the area, a decades-old friction that is only exacerbated by the factions that have splintered from the core organizations.
Local leaders suspect the attack was to remind locals of who controls the hills.
Sudarshan Chakma, leader of PCJSS (MN Larma) and newly elected chairman of Baghaicchari upazila parishad, and Mitan Chakma of UPDF (Democratic), said the attack was an attempt to make the polls questionable.
Mitan says he believes the people responsible for the attack may have acted out of fear.
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Additional Deputy Inspector General of Police, Abul Foyez, member of the probe committee investigating the incident, said the police and administration are working to make the hill tracts a safe place to live, and to prevent these incidents from happening in the future.
Al Mahmud Fayzul Kabir, director of the National Human Rights Commission, Bangladesh (NHRC,B), who is leading a probe committee formed by the NHRC,B told the Dhaka Tribune the sequence of events indicates the attack was the result of a political clash in the struggle for power.
A game of polls
JSS (Santu Larma) and UPDF said the ruling party was using the same tactics they used in the recent general elections to make a clean sweep of the upazila polls.
He said parties like PCJSS (MN Larma) and the UPDF (Democratic) joined forces with the Awami League to rig votes at polling centres.
The PCJSS (Santu Larma) boycotted the elections on rumours of vote rigging, and voter obstruction.
The Dhaka Tribune has learned that voting was postponed at the Panchhori Model Primary School, Pilot Farm Government Primary school, and Logang Bazar Government Primary school for undisclosed reasons.
UPDF sources say the UPDF (Democratic) tried to capture several voting centres the night before the polls but failed, and hence voting was postponed.
What are the parties and experts saying?
Mitan Chakma of UPDF (Democratic) suggests the administration needs to play a stronger role to improve the situation. He urged authorities to rein in the more radical elements who directly play a role in regional destabilization and hostilities.
UPDF Spokesperson Michael Chakma said the Election Commission cannot avoid taking responsibility for the security of its employees.
Meanwhile, PCJSS (Santu Larma) in a press release denied their involvement in the attack and said it was an attempt to stigmatize their peaceful movement.
Debayaon Khisa, a researcher with the Kapeeing Foundation, said anything that happened in the hills is immediately blamed on the PCJSS (Santu Larma) or UPDF. He noted that the authorities have been blaming the two organizations for a long time, but they should acknowledge the fact that nobody has claimed responsibility, and hence should exert restraint before making such remarks.
He posited a series of crucial questions: “What happened to the fourth civilian vehicle that was trailing the convoy but took a sudden turn at Dighinala? Why were polling agents in the same vehicles as election officials? Why did the BGB or Ansar troopers not fire back at the attackers?
