Larma bazar still reeks of destruction

Bibhash Tripura still shudders at the memory of his shop being burned down at Larma Square bazar in Dighinala, Khagrachhari. This market has been his place of business for the last 10 years. In a mere instant, his livelihood was reduced to ashes on the afternoon of September 19.
“I can’t describe that afternoon; the memory still haunts me. I lost everything in that moment,” said the man in his mid-30s. Without a shop, he has now resorted to selling chickens on the road like a street hawker.
“Before they torched my shop, they stole my chickens, money from the cash register, and even my digital weight machine. They took everything from me.”
Like Bibhash, many small traders from indigenous communities lost their only sources of income during the clash between indigenous people and Bangalee settlers on September 19.
During a visit to the area around Larma Square yesterday, this correspondent found the area still bore the scars of the violence. Ashes and blackened debris littered the bazar, while some workers began to rebuild. Even the monument built in memory of Manabendra Narayan (MN) Larma, a prominent indigenous leader, wasn’t spared from the destruction.
Narrating how the events unfolded, Bikash Chakma, a local fish trader, said, “The bazar was calm as usual in the afternoon. Suddenly, the quiet was broken by a loud protest procession brought out by the settlers around 4:00pm.
“Protesters were shouting aggressive slogans against indigenous communities from the procession that paraded several times between the Larma Square and the Dighinala UNO office.”
“Later, we came to know that the procession was protesting the death of a Bangalee man allegedly by mob beating in Khagrachhari Sadar.”
Bikash said Nipon Chakma, president of Dighinala Bazar Marchant’s Association, was injured by a brick chip thrown from the procession. “When people from indigenous communities protested this, it lead to a altercation.”
Another local, Himel Chakma, said the situation would not have worsened unless some people, through the loudspeaker from a local mosque, had not instigated others to come to Larma Square.
“Hundreds of people gathered there hearing the announcement and attacked us and torched our shops. It went on for more than an hour. We fled for life.”
Uday Bhashan Chakma, retired headmaster of Kalachand Mahajan Para Government Primary School, said the shops of both the Bangalees and indigenous people were torched in the fire.
“Now we want justice and guarantee of our safety from the government.”
Robiul Hossain, a homoeopathic doctor, said his chamber and pharmacy were also gutted in fire on that day.
According to the Dighinala Upazila Administration, a total of 86 shops were torched on that day. Of those, 55 shops belonged to traders from indigenous communities.
Meanwhile, the government on Thursday formed a seven-member probe committee to investigate the incidents of violence in Khagrachhari and Rangamati.
Headed by Additional Commissioner (Development) of Chattogram Division Mohammad Nurullah Nuri, the committee was asked to submit a report in two weeks, said Tofael Islam, divisional commissioner, Chattogram.