Google Alert – Bangladesh Army
The Bangladesh Army has said it remains “firmly committed” to safeguarding the sovereignty of the country and ensuring the safety of all communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) following recent violence in Khagrachhari.
In a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Sunday, the army urged political leaders and residents of all ethnic groups to act with restraint and cooperate with law enforcement to restore stability in the region.
According to the statement, the violences were part of a “larger conspiracy” aimed at destabilising the CHT by instigating communal riots. The army alleged that the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) and its affiliated organisations orchestrated the unrest by forcing women and schoolchildren to participate in protests and bringing in armed outsiders to fuel violence.
The statement detailed a series of incidents beginning with the 19 September anniversary of motorcyclist Mamun’s killing last year, when protests and clashes erupted in Khagrachhari and Rangamati. It said the situation escalated further after the 23 September allegation of a schoolgirl’s rape in Singinala, which the UPDF allegedly used to mobilise protests and road blockades.
The army reported that on 27 and 28 September, UPDF activists and supporters engaged in vandalism, attacks on ambulances, roadblocks, and armed clashes that turned into communal confrontations in Khagrachhari town and Guimara upazila. During the violence, at least three army officers and seven soldiers were injured, while Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel also came under attack.
The ISPR statement also said UPDF’s armed wing opened fire with automatic weapons from a hilltop near Ramsu Bazar on 28 September, firing 100–150 rounds at locals, Bengali residents, and army personnel, leaving several people wounded.
In the same period, the army said, arson attacks were carried out in Ramsu Bazar and surrounding homes, while a BGB checkpost in Kaptai intercepted a bus carrying a “large consignment of homemade weapons” allegedly linked to UPDF members.
The army stressed that despite repeated provocations, its personnel acted with “patience, restraint and humanity” and refrained from excessive use of force, eventually restoring order by deploying reinforcements.
“The recent chain of incidents demonstrates a deliberate attempt to destabilise the CHT through communal riots,” the statement read. “The army calls upon all political leaders and residents, regardless of ethnicity, to exercise restraint and cooperate with law enforcement to maintain peace.”
It added that, despite “false propaganda and incitement,” the Bangladesh Army remains determined to protect the sovereignty of the country and is prepared to take “any necessary measures” to ensure stability in the region.
Bd-pratidin English/ ANI