Curfew clamped in Khagrachhari 

30 hurt, 50 houses torched, army deployed

A house in flame in Mohajanpara following eruption of fresh violence in Khagrachhari on Tuesday. Photo: Banglar Chok Apprehending escalation of troubles, the district administration clamped down night curfew in the hill-district town and its suburbs in the wake of Bangalee-tribal clashes. The curfew will remain in force from 8 pm to 6 am, restricting the residents indoors. At least 50 houses were burnt in arson attacks in seven localities in the strike-bound district town amid clashes between indigenous people and Banglee settlers Tuesday in fresh flare-ups of violence in the hill tracts. The district Administration imposed ban under section 144 on gathering in the entire area of sadar upazila at 2pm for an indefinite period to avert further outbreaks in a sequel to today's clashes that left over 30 people wounded, including five newsmen. Army troops have been deployed in the troubled areas of the hill-district town to come to grips with the situation, seen as the worst since the ethnic strife in the hills was calmed through a peace pact over a decade ago. "Tensions have gripped the town with most people remaining confined to their houses or offices following the clashes," said a resident of Mahajanpara, one of the worst-affected areas. Witnesses said Bangalee Chhatra Parishad and United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) activists locked into clashes that triggered massive violence in the hill-district headquarters today that left over 30 people injured. Private television channel NTV reporter Talat Mahmun was among those injured. He was rushed to sadar hospital with head injury. "As groups of Banglee settlers and indigenous people ran riot amid chase and counter-chase, Bangalee men set fire to some houses of indigenous people at Mahajanpara while the ethnic people torched some houses in the Bangalee-dominated Milanpara area," says a firsthand report. Meanwhile, life in the rugged Chittagong Hill Tracts virtually came to standstill as a daylong blockade on roads and waterways began on Tuesday morning in Rangamati and Khagrachhari hill districts in protest against Saturday's killing of two tribal people in Baghaichhari upazila of Rangamati. The United People's Democratic Front (UPDF), a forum opposed to the 1997 peace deal, enforced the blockade in the two districts previously affected by over two decades of bush-war until the accord was signed between government and tribal insurgents. The other hill district in the CHT region-Bandarbun-had been largely peaceful during the insurgency era as also now, maintaining a fraternal co-existence of different communities. According to a source in the backwoods area, the UPDF supporters staged demonstrations on Manikchhari-Mahalchhari highway at Kutubchhari in Khagrachhari Sadar upazila in the morning. Section 144 was in force for the fourth day Tuesday in Baghai-chhari upazila in Rangamati from where the deadly violence flared up. The hill students brought out a procession in Khagrachari district town in the morning demanding fair trial of the killings. All modes of transport were off the roads in both the districts while the river vessels were found anchored. Road communications of the two hill districts with Chittagong and the capital, Dhaka, came to a halt following the strike. Two tribal people were killed and 15 others injured in a clash between the indigenous community and Bengali settlers at Gangarammukh village in Baghaichhari upazila Saturday.