A regional party of the hill tracts, Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS), sent letters to at least 450 ruling party members to leave the Awami League and join their organization or face death.
In the last five years, at least 200 AL men, who refused to leave the ruling party, were killed by PJSS armed cadres, it was learnt.
Rasel Marma, a chairman aspirant of Billayachhori Upazila AL in Rangamati, told the Daily Observer on Monday that armed members of PJSS tried to kill him in 2017. "The PJSS sent a letter threatening me to leave the ruling party but as a lover of AL I am ready to sacrifice my life for my party," he said.
Panic has gripped the residents of Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT) as pre-planned military-style ambush for retaining supremacy in the area is a daily affair in this picturesque land.
The PCJSS and her B team UPDF (United People's Democratic Front), involved in criminal activities, including murders and kidnappings, have increased their activities in the pictorial CHT, which draws a large number of foreign and local tourists round the year.
They mainly want the ruling AL out of the CHT and also refuse to accept the historic peace accord.
Sources said two factions of PCJSS, one led by Shantu Larma and the other by MN Larma and Prasit Khisha-led UPDF group are active in the three hill districts -- Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban.
According to Intelligence sources, these groups possess arms like AK-22 automatic rifles, G3 rifles, MK-11 rifles, AK-47, AK-56, M-6 rifles and 9mm pistols.
Sources said around 321 people including activists of the four rival groups were killed over the past five years in clashes among them for establishing supremacy in the areas and securing the share of the extortion money.
The simmering unrest in the hilly region came to light after PCJSS and UPDF armed cadres conducted several forays for collecting extortion money from the local people.
In Rangamati widespread panic among the residents - both tribal people of Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT) and inhabitants of the plains-after PCJSS gunmen killed several ruling party men, in apparent targeted killing, and a number of government officials and members of the Ansar in premeditated army-style ambush in the last five years. The families of the victims are yet to get justice.
On March 18, some unidentified gunmen in Rangamati shot dead seven people, including two polling officials and four Ansar personnel, after the end of the second phase of the Upazila election boycotted by one tribal group. At least 17 others were injured when the gunmen carried out the attack in Noi Mile area on Sajek-Khagrachhari Road. On March 19, an Upazila Awami League president was shot dead right before his family members at Bilaichhori Upazila in Rangamati by armed cadres.
The victim's son told this correspondent, "Since my father was gunned down we are passing our days in panic. We don't stay at home. We have identified all 12 men involved in the killing of my father. We demand justice."
They buy arms with the money they collect through extortion from the local people. PJSS and UPDF spent some Tk 300 crore on illegal arms, it was learnt.
Illegal toll collections by four regional parties - PJSS (Santu group), PJSS (MN Larma group), UPDF (Prasit group), UPDF (democratic) - in the three districts of the CHT is now an open secret.
