Even after 25 years of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) peace treaty, the peace-effort has been at stake due to the activities of armed regional forces in three districts. Recently, the life of the people living in hill tracts has fallen into crisis because of this armed activities of separatist organization ‘Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF).

Equipped with heavy weapons, the men of this organization are challenging the members of security forces. Lastly, the terrorists of Kuki shoot and killed the patrolling military man, master warrant officer Nazim Uddin, and wounded two others. Before it, they grabbed huge ransom by kidnapping a few people including the worker involved in construction work of roads in hill tracts. On March 15, they kidnapped the former military man Anwarul Haque and some others who were engaged in road development project of army in Bandarban. They haven’t been freed even after 11 days of the kidnapping incident.

According to the authorities concerned, KNF is basically a Rangamati-Bandarban based separatist organization. However, the number of their members is not so big and it’s formed by the people of Baum, Khiyang, Khumi, Lusai, Pangkhoya and Murong tribes in the hill tract area who are usually Christian. It was formed in 2008 under the leadership of Nathan Baum. Primarily, the organization was involved in anti-JSS (Jano Sanghoti Samity) activities, but at later stage, they began to involved in militancy and training of militants. They began to train the members of militant organization Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharkiya in impassable hilly area by taking money from them. However, the organization was dispersed after the joint operation of RAB and Bangladesh army in the hill tracts. To avoid the responsibility of involving in militancy, the main leaders of the organization fled to Mizoram of India.

According to the sources, NNF want to fom a separate state named ‘Kukiland’ consisting of nine upazilas— Baghaichari, Barkal, Jurachari, Bilaichari of Rangamati, Ruma, Thanchi, Lama and Alikadam of Bandarban. They published a map of this area on Facebook. Their slogan is “No Full State, No Rest.” In the photo published on their facebook page, they’re seen to take training with modern automatic weapons.

Recently, an operation was started in the hill-tracts to detain the top leaders of the new top militant organization Jamaatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya. RAB published the list of 55 youths from 19 districts of the country who were driven out of their homes in the name of voluntary migration (Hizrat) motivated by extremism.

According to RAB, the KNF terrorists drew a blueprint for creating an unstable situation in the country by renting a house in the remote mountains bordering India and Myanmar and giving armed-training. They’re giving shelter to the members of the violent militant organization Jamaatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya in mountain hideouts.

In October last year security forces launched operations against Hindal Sharqiya and Kuki terrorists. So far, RAB has arrested at least 17 people of KNF and 68 people of Hindal Sharqiya. Intelligence sources also said that the KNF and Hindal Sharqiya militants are working together in the hills to protect their existence and planning for counter-revenge as they have been damaged due to the tough operation by the security forces.

In this regard, security analyst Major General (Retd.) Md. Abdur Rashid said, “The KNF is becoming reckless. So, there is no chance to give them any space.”

He also said targeted operation' should be carried out against all the separatist terrorists in the hills including the KNF to protect the integrity of the territory.

Meanwhile, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) recently said in a circular that to make obstacle in the Thanchi road development project in Bandarban under the supervision of the army for the development of backward communities in the hills, the KNF terrorist group first demanded money from civilian contractors, suppliers and laborers involved in the road construction project and later on threatened to stop them their work. But as the work was going on under the supervision of the army, the KNF terrorist group kidnapped 12 workers on March 11. Among them, one worker was shot dead and four workers are still being held hostage by the KNF. The remaining seven workers were released in exchange for ransom, but were threatened not to work on the road construction project with the army.

Following this, the KNF opened fire on an army patrol on March 12. Furthermore, on February 8, KNF issued a notice to the Transport Owners Association to stop the movement of vehicles in three upazilas of Bandarban. Considering the safety of tourists in the face of various terrorist activities, the administration banned tourists from traveling to three upazilas from March 14. Due to these reasons, the residents of the mountains spend their days in fear, anxiety and apprehension.

Bashaisingh Marma, a member of the local People's Representative District Council, said, "We are in great fear because of the shootings, murders and abductions in the hills. Meanwhile, since the ban in three upazilas of Bandarban, the tourism industry of the district has been haulted. If this ban continues, there is a chance of major losses in tourism-related business.”

AKM Jahangir, chairman of Bandarban Sadar Upazila, blames the unstable situation in the hills on clan-based conflicts, unprotected borders, inadequate army camps and free supply of weapons.

He said, “None of us are safe in the hill-tract now. We are afraid of  get attacked.”

Kazi Mojibur Rahman, the central president of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Nagorik Parishad said due to their extortion and domination-desire of the seperarists, one after the other, they are facing disappearances, murders, extortions and has to see face-to-face clashes between members of the law enforcement forces and the terrorists. Because of them, Pahari-Bengalis are in panic. As a result, army camps will have to be set up and RAB, BGB and police will have to be tasked with recovering illegal weapons.

According to the analysts, the terrorists are showing their reckless attitude by getting the opportunity to use the trilateral (Bangladesh, India and Myanmar) impassable border and heavy weapons. Therefore, on the question of territorial integrity, a campaign against the separatist organizations in hill tracts should be carried out on the principle of zero tolerance. Besides, the government has to discuss with the neighboring countries and create pressure from their side.

Depicting the ongoing operation in remote areas of Bandarban, Commander Khandaker Al Moin, Director of legal and media wing of RAB, said RAB operations are continuing to eliminate the activities of terrorists and new militant organizations in various remote areas bordering Bandarban. We are conducting this campaign in coordination with various agencies of the government. The operation is being conducted keeping in mind that the peace-loving people of the hills don’t face any problem during the operation. We have already handed over the detainees to legal process, who were involved in terrorist and militant activities.

@The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on March 27 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque