​​Bangladesh army and settlers massacre 500 indigenous people in Baghaichari

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From 3 August to 10 August 1988, Bangladesh army and Muslim settlers launched a retaliatory attack against the indigenous people in Baghaichari, Rangamati district. Bangladesh army and Muslim settlers killed about 500 indigenous people including women and children in the retaliatory attack. Bangladesh army and Muslim settlers abducted 25 young indigenous girls and took them to their camps. Their whereabouts are still unknown.

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Prelude to the Massacre

 

Since 20 July 1988, Bangladesh army had been terrorizing the indigenous people of Baghaichari in Kassalong Valley as part of Bangladesh government's program to depopulate the area for the settlement of Muslim settlers. They tortured indigenous people, stole their stocks, burnt their houses, raped their women, detained men and women and murdered by extra-judicial execution.

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On 1 August 1988, Shanti Bahini attacked a contingent of the Bangladesh army while on patrol duty at Durchari in Baghaichari and killed 7 Bangladesh army personnel in the attack.

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In retaliation of Shanti Bahini attack, on 4 August 1988, Bangladesh army of 5 EBR from army camp at Jarul Chari led by Lt. Mohammad Jehangir attacked Naga Bihari Karbari Para and Jarul Chari. Bangladesh army inhumanly beat indigenous people, set alight their houses and raped following indigenous women:

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1. Mrs. Nayan Tara Chakma (25), wife of Mr. Sushil Chakma.

2. Mrs. Mila Chakma (35), wife of Mr. Chitta Ranjan Chakma.

3. Mrs. Shoibalini Chakma (25), wife of Mr. Kumatta Chakma.

4. Miss Sneha Lata Chakma (14), daughter of Mr. Ananda Kumar Chakma.

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On the same day, Bangladesh army from Karengatali Army Camp led by Capt. Akram let loose a reign of terror at Duluchari in Baghaichari. Bangladesh army arrested Mr. Atul Bikash Karbari, a member of Union Council (local government), severely beat him, dipped him into water several times till he was half dead and took him to army camp. His fate and fate of other arrested indigenous people are not known. Most possibly all of them had been beaten to death.

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On 5 August 1988, Bangladesh army removed about 20 indigenous people including women and girls from a river ferry that was going to Rangamati from Baghaichari. It is feared that all men were tortured to dead and all women and girls were raped. Possibly most of the women were killed after being gang raped and some women and majority of the girls were forcibly converted to Islam.

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The Massacre

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Eventually the Baghaichari massacre took place on 8-9 August l988. Bangladesh army and Muslim settlers jointly attacked indigenous villages, stole live stocks and valuable goods, set the houses on fire, raped women and girls, destroyed non-Muslim places of worship and killed some 500 indigenous people. Thousands of villagers fled to the nearby forests. They could not take shelter in India because Bangladesh army and other armed forces had barricaded the border along Tripura to prevent indigenous people from leaving CHT for Tripura state of India.

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Bangladesh armed forces and Muslim settlers jointly attacked following indigenous villages in Baghaichari:

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1. Jibanga Chara of Marishya Mouza

2. Jibtali of Marishya Mouza

3. South Khagra Chari of Sarbuatali Mouza

4. North Khira Char of Sarbuatali Mouza

5. East Khira Char of Sarbuatali Mouza

6. Soutn Khira Char of Sarbuatali Mouza

7. South Sarbuatali of Sarbuatali Mouza

8. Chinnya Ram Chara of Sarbuatali Mouza

9. North Sarbuatali of Sarbuatali Mouza

10. Khagra Chari of Sarbuatali Mouza

11. North Sijak of Sijak Mouza

12. Sijak Mukh of Sijak Mouza

13. North Bangaltali of Bangaltali Mouza

14. Baghai Chari of Baghai Chari Mouza

15. Ugal Chari Mukh of Ugal Chari Mouza

16. Pabla Khali Mukh of Khedar Mara Mouza

17. Durchari of Khedar Mara Mouza

18. Bara Durchari of Khedar Mara Mouza

19. Madhya Pabla Khali of Khedar Mara Mouza

20. Kattali of Tintilla Mouza

21. Dulu Banya of Dulu Banya Mouza

22. Tulaban of Tulaban Mouza

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The attacks were led by following Bangladesh army officers:

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1. Lt. Imran of 41 EBR from Sarbuatali army camp in Baghaichari

2. Major Ishtiaq of 41 EBR from Tangum army camp in Baghaichari

3. Lt. Zaman of 41 EBR from Amtali army camp in Baghaichari

4. Major Firdaus of 41 EBR from Durchari army camp in Baghaichari

5. Lt. Col. Abdus Samad of 5 Field Artillery Regiment from Baghaihat army camp in Baghaichari

6. Army officers from Maini Mukh camp

7. Army officers from Massalong camp in Baghaichari

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Muslim settlers who participated in the massacre were:

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1. Nur Mia, son of Omar Ali

2. Bacchu, son of Omar Ali

3. Abdul Huq

4. Majid

5. Luqman

6. Delwar

7. Aziz and many Muslim settlers from Baghaichari

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Bangladesh army is trying to starve surviving indigenous people to dead by blocking access to the area. Bangladesh army is distributing indigenous villages and agricultural land to the Muslim settlers
 

Killed

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Following indigenous people were killed in the massacre:

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1. Miss Sumita Chakma (18), daughter of Mr. Anuruddha Chakma of South Khagra Chari of Sarbuatali Mouza. Bangladesh army gang raped and bayoneted her to dead.

2. Miss Geeta Chakma (16), daughter of Mr. Anuruddha Chakma of South Khagra Chari of Sarbuatali Mouza. Bangladesh army gang raped and bayoneted her to dead.

3. Mrs. Tilattama Chakma (45), wife of Mr. Madhu Sudhan Chakma of South Khira Char. of Khedar Mara Mouza. Bangladesh army gang raped and then killed her and her two sons.

4. Master Jagadish Chakma (8), son of Mr. Madhu Sudhan Chakma. Bangladesh army bayoneted him to dead.

5. Master Cizi Chakma (5), son of Mr. Madhu Sudhan Chakma. Bangladesh army bayoneted him to dead.

6. Mr. Kalendar Chakma (75), son of late Dhira Dhan Chakma of Jibanga Chara in Marishya Mouza. Muslim settlers hacked him to dead.

7. Mrs. Padma Rani Chakma (25), wife of Mr. Bali Chakma of South Khira Char in Khedar Mara Mouza. Bangladesh army gang raped and then bayoneted her to dead.

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Raped

 

On 8 August 1988, 3 indigenous girls were going to Durchari Bazar in Baghaichari. Bangladesh army forcibly took the indigenous girls to the army camp and gang raped them. The victims are:

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1. Miss Dipti Rani Chakma (15), daughter of Mr. Manoram Chakma of Shijak Mukh village in Shijak Mouza

2. Miss Shukla Chakma (13), daughter of Mr. Madhan Mahan Chakma of Shijak Mukh village in Shijak Mouza

3. Miss Bithika Rani Chakma (14), daughter of late Prafulla Ranjan Chakma of Shijak Mukh village in Shijak Mouza

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Major Firdaus and soldiers of 41 East Bengal Regiment from Durchari Army Camp in Baghaichari gang raped many indigenous women and girls. 2 of the victims are:
 

1. Mrs. Kina Bala Chakma (28), wife of Mr. Sugata Chakma of Shijak Mukh village in Shijak Mouza.

2. Mrs. Chandra Sashi Chakma (40), wife of Mr. Bijoy Mohan Chakma, address as above.

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Seriously Injured

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1. Mr. Laxmi Kumar Chakma, Chairman of the Baghaichari

2. Mr. Smritendu Bikash Chakma (35), a lecturer of Baghaichari College at Baghaichari

3. Mr. Surya Kumar Khisa (80), son of late Giri Nanda Khisa of Tulaban in Baghaichari

4. Mr. Nihar Bindu Chakma (30), son of Mr. Sumesh Ranjan Chakma of South Khagra Chari village in Sarbuatali Mouza

5. Master Jagreeti Chakma (8), son of Mr. Nihar Bindu Chakma

6. Master Tripura Chakma (6), son of Mr. Nihar Bindu Chakma

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Missing

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Following and all other missing persons are feared to have been murdered by Bangladesh army and Muslim settlers.

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1. Mr. Mrittunjoy Chakma (65)

2. Mr. Dhulu Chakma (35), son of Mr. Chitra Sen Chakma of East Khira Char village in Sarbuatali Mouza

3. Mr. Sneha Chakma (54), son of Mr. Sashi Mohan Chakma

4. Master Santu Mani Chakma (15), son of Mr. Purna Mohan Chakma of South Khagra Chari village in Sarbuatali Mouza

5. Mr. Bibekananda Chakma (30), a teacher of the local Junior High School and son of Mr. Hirendra Lal Chakma

6. Mr. Bandra Chakma (18), son of Mr. Aswini Kumar Chakma of South Sarbuatali village in Sarbuatali Mouza

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Detention

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Bangladesh army detained following indigenous people without charge or trial:

1. Mr. Bhaja Gala Chakma (32), son of Mr. Chuchyang Khula Chakma of Kattali village in Tintilla Mouza

2. Mr. Kashyap Moni Chakma (25), son of Mr. Indra Sen Chakma of North Bangaltali village in Bangaltali Mouza

3. Mr. Kamini Kanta Chakma (32), son of Mr. Soiyambar Chakma of North Bangaltali village in Bangaltali Mouza

4. Mr. Atul Chakma (35), son of Mr. Ram Kamal Chakma of Dulu Banya village in Dulu Banya Mouza

5. Mr. Shantimoy Chakma (35), son of Mr. Tarani Sen Chakma of Baghaichari in Baghaichari Mouza

6. Mr. Padala Chakma (35), son of Mr. Dina Mohan Chakma of Baghaichari in Baghaichari Mouza

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Arson

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Bangladesh army of 5 Field Artillery Regiment led by Lt. Col. Abdus Samad burned the houses of following indigenous people:

 

1. Mr. Hari Lal Karbari, son of Mr. Pancha Kumar Chakma

2. Mr. Fula Mohan Chakma, son of Mr. Byasa Moni Chakma

3. Mr. Daya Lal Chakma, son of Mr. Brisha Dhar Chakma

4. Many other indigenous people of North Bangaltali village in Bangaltali Mouza.

 

Similarly Bangladesh army of 41 East Bengal Regiment led by Lt. Zaman set fire to the houses of following indigenous people:

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1. Mr. Buddha Sagar Chakma, son of Mr. Bannua Moni Chakma

2. Mr. Prabhat Chandra Chakma, son of Mr. Gaya Sur Chakma

3. Mr. Babulya Chakma, son of Mr. Kina Ram Chakma

4. Many other indigenous people of the Madhya Pablakhali village in Khedar Mara Mouza

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Bangladesh Government's Action

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Bangladesh government tried to hush up the Baghaichari massacre because it feared that foreign aids would be stopped if the donor countries knew about these premeditated killings. It instructed the Bangladeshi press and other public media not to publicise the incident. At the same time Bangladesh government strictly restricted the movement of the indigenous people in the affected areas of Baghaichari.