A half-day hartal in protest against the arson attacks on indigenous people in Longadu following death of a Jubo League leader, ended peacefully in Rangamati as there were no report of untoward incident.
United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF), a political group of indigenous people, declared on yesterday the six-hour hartal from 6:00am on Monday (today).
No long-distance or inter-district buses and launches left the district town during the shutdown. A few CNG-run auto-rickshaws roamed the roads.
Meanwhile, a temporary police camp has been set up at Tintila village to maintain law and order there, SM Moniruzzaman Monir, deputy inspector general of police (DIG), told journalists while visiting Tintila Ban Bihar, a Buddhist monastery, in the morning.
The DIG suspects that the attack was pre-planned as so many housed were burnt and damaged in the incident.
He assured that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.
Ruhul Amin, divisional police commissioner, was alongside the DIG.
After the death of a local Jubo League man, several hundred people from different Bengali-dominated unions brought out a procession carrying the body on Friday. Three villages in Longadu upazila was attacked from the procession.
Five Bengali youths were arrested on Sunday in connection with Friday’s attacks. They were not listed in the first information report.
Police are yet to arrest Saiful, Jewel and Qayum, who allegedly led the procession from where the attack was carried out. However, Halim and Shah Alam, brothers of Saiful and Qayum respectively, are among those arrested yesterday.
A case was filed on Saturday by Sub-Inspector Dulal Hossain of Longadu Police Station against 15 named persons including Saiful, Jewel and Qayum. Three to four hundred unnamed persons have also been made accused in the case.
On Friday, seven other named accused were arrested.
Source: The Daily Ittefaq
