Ramgarh victims refuse to accept relief from army

Ramgarh victims refuse to accept relief from army

April 25, 2011

THE Ramgarh attack victims have refused to accept relief materials from army, an action considered a slap in its face.

The army has been accused of taking part, along with the Bengali settlers, in the last 17 April communal attack on six Jumma villages in Ramgarh, Guimara and Manikchari under Khagrachari district.

Eight days after the attack, a group of army personnel led by Lt. Col. Qamrul Hassan, commander of Sindukchari zone, went to the affected areas today to distribute relief materials among the Jumma victims.

At first the army went to Remrong Para and sent a message for the victims to come and collect the relief materials.

When none came they went up to Shonkhola Para, the village that became the centre for distribution of relief materials among the victims.

The relief materials of the army included one Lungi (lower garment) for each victim.

The victims refused to accept the relief materials from the army and said: “We will not accept relief from you. Before anything else, guarantee our safety and security first, help build our houses and give our lands back.”

Qamrul assured them that they would build their houses and discuss the matter with the government, and tried to force them to accept the Lungis but victims refused to accept reliefs.

Later, at 1:30pm, Lt. Col. Qamrul Hassan, the army officer who earned notoriety for making repeated attempts to capture Sadhana Tila in Babuchara during the rule of emergency, and his soldiers went back, leaving the relief materials in the open.

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Source: chtnews.com