Tensions have escalated between the hill people and Bengali communities following the lynching of a teacher for allegedly raping a hill student, compelling the authorities concerned to impose Section 144 in Khagrachhari to calm the situation.
The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon when Abul Hasnat Muhammad Sohel Rana, a teacher at Khagrachhari Technical School and College, was allegedly beaten to death.
Apart from the regular forces, the authorities concerned deployed Border Guard Bangladesh to maintain law and order.
Following the incident, hill people and Bengali groups faced off again in the Khagrachhari district within two weeks.
Both sides brought out separate processions and marched the city roads. Witnesses said several shops in the Mahajanpara area were vandalised during the processions while a house was also set on fire.
Earlier, on September 18, a young man was beaten to death over an allegation of motorcycle theft, leading to clashes between the two communities in Khagrachhari and Rangamati.
District Commissioner (DC) Mohammad Shahiduzzaman said that the teacher was beaten to death following an accusation of rape, escalating the tension. Section 144 was imposed for an indefinite period from 3:00pm onwards in the municipality area and Sadar upazila.
The deceased teacher, Sohel Rana, was the Chief Instructor of the Building Construction and Safety Department at the institution located in Khagrachhari Sadar, Khejur Bagan area.
He had previously faced legal charges in 2021 for an attempted rape involving a tenth-grade student. He was jailed for a short period of time at that time, and students protested his return to the institution.
Fresh allegations of sexual harassment raised against him on Tuesday.
Ukanyu Marma, a witness, said some students saw Sohel Rana takes a female student of class 7 of the Tripura community to his government quarter around 9:00am.
“When they [the students] informed us, we went to the college and rescued her from the teacher’s room,” he said.
“The girl said the teacher raped her,” he said. “The people present there became angry and started beating him up.”
Sujan Chandra Roy, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Khagrachhari Sadar Upazila, said students and guardians kept Sohel confined in the school on allegation of raping a schoolgirl.
Sujan said he along with additional superintendent of police (Khagrachhari circle) and officer-in-charge of a local police station went to the spot and tried to bring the situation under control.
At one stage, angry mob stormed into the office and beat up Sohel, leaving him injured.
Police and others failed to protect him, and he was declared dead upon arrival at Khagrachhari Sadar Hospital.
Ripol Bappi Chakma, the resident doctor at Khagrachhari Sadar Hospital, confirmed that Sohel Rana had died before arriving at the hospital around 2:10pm.
UNO Sujan said a few police officials and me also suffered injuries. The injured teacher was sent to Khagrachhari Sadar Hospital around noon.
Following the incident, both sides— hilly and Bengali—began rallying separately in the town, shouting various slogans.
Abdul Baten Mridha, the Officer-in-Charge of Khagrachhari Sadar Police Station, said that he was also injured while trying to calm the crowd.
“Section 144 is in place, but the situation remains tense,” he said.
On September 18, a youth named Mohammad Mamun was lynched in Khagrachhari over allegations of motorcycle theft. Later, Mamun’s wife filed a murder case against three absconding local leaders from the ruling Awami League.
Following Mamun’s death, violence erupted between the indigenous and Bengali communities.
September 19, shops were set ablaze at Larma Square in Dighinala, and one person, Dhananjay Chakma, was killed during the clashes. That same night, two more individuals, Rubel Tripura and Junan Chakma, were killed in clashes with security forces in Khagrachhari.
The following day, violence spread to Rangamati, where shops and homes were set on fire, resulting in the death of another person, Anik Kumar Chakma.
Section 144 was imposed in both Rangamati and Khagrachhari on September 20, but it was later lifted.
Five cases have since been filed in connection with these incidents across the two districts.
