Dhaka
Minorities are not safe in Bangladesh. Earlier, atrocities were committed against Hindus here. Now reports of persecution of Christians are emerging. Unidentified miscreants set ablaze 17 houses of Tripura community in Bandarban district on Christmas night. According to The Daily Star report, the incident took place when all of them had gone to another village to participate in the Christmas festival. There was no church in his village.
According to the report, 17 out of 19 houses of Tripura community were completely burnt to ashes. After the incident, Gangamani Tripura, a victim, said, “Today was our happiest day, but I never thought that something like this would happen on Christmas. We demand strict punishment for the criminals.”
The Tripura community has been residing in the Kundjiri area for many generations. According to locals, they were forcibly evicted from there a few years ago after it was claimed that the area was rented out to a police officer’s wife. Mahila was the Inspector General of Police during the Awami League rule. After the people were removed, trees were planted in the village.
Paisapru Tripura, chief of Nai Tongjhiri, said his community had been living there for three to four generations. Five years ago, a group calling themselves “SP people” drove them out from there. It is alleged that they said that the land was given on rent to Benjir Ahmed’s wife. After the fall of the Awami League government, the Tripura community returned, built new houses and started living there.
