Country's intelligence agencies have found the existence of a wing of a Myanmar-based militant outfit 969 in remote hideouts at Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachhari-the three hill tracts districts of the country.
The 969, known as a Myanmar government sponsored militant organization, which rose across parts of Asia has triggered growing international alarm. In Myanmar the attack on the ethnic Rohingyas by young people last year was said to have been carried out under the banner of the 969 extremists.
The militant organization has sown insidious new tensions in the three hill tracts districts, a diverse home to sizeable Muslim, Christian and Hindu populations of the country.
The 969, the three digits denote nine special qualities of the organization, six of Buddhist teachings and nine of monkhood, according to the Wikipedia.
A high official of an intelligence agency told the Daily Observer that the local members of 969 receive training from the parent organization, Myanmar 969.
The trained members of group 969 enter the Chattogram Hill Tracts for implementation of a design, a plan and a dream, the official said.
For the last few years, 969 have been widely known as an extremist movement organised by the monks of Myanmar.
The 969 members are not only trained in Myanmar but also in Bangladesh. Each month 15 to 20 tribes from the unprotected borders of Thanchi and along Mizoram go to Myanmar to take training from 969. Some of the tribals meet with the terrorist Asin Warithu and train themselves to use small firearms.
Intelligence agencies said more than 100 people of Myanmar are involved in this work. They are spreading poison in the hills by using the priests and trained miscreants. Over the last few months, they have made more than 30,000 ardent followers in the hill tracts region.
The extremists are trained in judo and karate and sent to the extremist training camps in deep forests to take higher training. Later they head towards their homesteads and wage a movement and armed revolution.
A field level official of the hill tracts said the Joint Forces arrested a Myanmar civil servant disguised as a cleric. The Joint Forces received sensational information from him.
He said hundreds of people like him are in the hill region. According to him the tribals are being poisoned against the Bengalis.
Intelligence agencies have said that there are a few hundred Mayanmar monks working in the hilly areas. There is no way to know them because their appearance or race is similar to that of the tribal groups in the region.
The 969 is now accused of giving training to reformist armed men of UPDF, UPDF (democratic), JSS and JSS (reformists) in the Chattogram Hill Tracts.
These monks dream of establishing a Jhumland as an independent state. Various frameworks have been created in the meantime to form the Jhumland. The sort of government required for the Jhumland is also being designed simultaneously, it was learnt.
The common tribes want to blend in with the Bengali people. But due to UPDF, JSS and 'JSS reformist' tribal groups they are struggling hard to live as friends and neighbours of the Bengalis.
To prevent such activities of the extremist group, the Joint Forces are working day and night in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Such anti-state activities going in the region in the name of preaching religion came to the Joint Forces as a surprise. After the detention of an extremist, the law enforcers are responding well to the matter. It is difficult for them to identify the real and the fake monk, they said.
Maj Gen SM Motiur Rahman General Officer Commanding (GOC) 24 Infantry Division and Area Commander of Chattogram area said, "We have already ordered our forces to cheek all suspected people."
