Armed terrorists-cum-extortionists group collect at least Tk 1,000 crore every year from public, private sector workers, businessmen and residents of Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachhari areas.
Any development project must pay 10 per cent commission to the extremist groups. Kazi Md Mujibur Rahman, President of Central Parbatya Chattogram Nagorik Parishad (PCNP) and former general secretary of ruling Awami League, Bandarban district unit told the Daily Observer on Monday that six extremist groups have taken 10 per cent commission from government development projects. There are a lot of government development projects going on there, he added.
The three districts comprise one tenth of the country's land mass. The population of these districts is around 16 lakh. Over 51 per cent of them are Bengalis and the rest tribal people. Six regional groups, United People's Democratic Front (UPDF), UPDF (Democrats), Parbatya Chattogram Jana Sanghati Samity (JSS-Santu), Jana Sanghati Samity (Reformists), Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) and Mog National Party (MNF) are active in the region, said sources in the intelligence agencies.
The groups have unofficially fixed different rates of toll depending on the nature of business and profession. A tea garden owner at Nanirchar in Rangamati pays Tk 1 crore annually to JSS-Santu, JSS (Reformist) and both the groups of UPDF.
According to the locals, JSS-Santu collects toll at 10 per cent rate on sale of each cow or goat while UPDF and JSS (reformists) charge Tk 200 to Tk 250 for each cow and Tk 200 for a goat. Even if anybody sells chickens Tk 50 must be paid to tem for each. For each bunch of banana, a farmer pays between Tk 6 and Tk 10 to the four militant groups.
A professional fisherman pays Tk 50,000 to Tk 55,000 annually to JSS-Santu, JSS (reformist) and UPDF. Other people also have to pay according to the list of subscriptions.
"The militant group 'Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya' has provided Tk 17 lakh to Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) to buy arms to train up their members, said Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). They get fund to serve their purposes from different sources," said a RAB official.
The transportation sector has to pay illegal tolls to the tune of thousands of taka every day to the armed extremists. Due to this the people of the hill areas have become hostages. The normal activities of the people are being severely hampered. People want to get rid of the situation.
Sources said UPDF is active in Khagrachhari and in some parts of Rangamati and Bandarban while JSS-Santu is active in the whole of Rangamati and some parts of Bandarban and Khagrachhari and JSS (reformists) are active in all the three districts. Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) and Mog National Party (MNP) are active in the region of Bandarban.
The extremist groups and their wings have collected huge quantities of sophisticated arms and ammunition smuggled from abroad with the money collected from public and private sector workers, businessmen and ordinary people illegally.
"Tribal or Bengali, if you have business or job in the hills, you have to pay extortion to the six regional groups. Extortion is an open secret in CHT," a source said. The source added people have to pay tolls to the armed cadres if they get involved in any profit earning enterprise.
People fear they might become victims of violence, abduction, sexual harassment and killing if they refuse to pay the demand money. The groups have unofficially fixed different rates of toll collection depending on the nature of business and class of their profession.
District administration and local sources said UPDF, JSS-Santu and JSS (Reformists) control every development work in CHT. A contractor has to pay 10 per cent in advance against the total amount of the work order.
The fund is used for purchasing arms and ammunition, military training and paying salary and perks to members of the groups. Law enforcers have managed to nab a number of extortionists round the year. But the illegal toll collection continues unabated.
Sources claimed that the extortion money is the lifeline for the anti-Bangladesh campaign at home and abroad. Law enforcers have managed to nab a number of extortionists round the year. But the illegal toll collection continues unabated.
Many of the people, preferring anonymity, told this correspondent that it was impossible for them to live without paying extortion to the armed cadres of the extremist groups.
A high official of law enforcement agency, on condition of anonymity, told this correspondent, "People don't want to inform the law enforcers about extortion. They [people] fear that they might become victims of violence, abduction, sexual harassment and killing if they refuse to pay extortion to the groups or report it to the police."
In most of the cases, it was not possible to conduct raids in extremely remote areas to arrest the terrorists and recover arms, according to police sources.
Mir Abu Touhid, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Rangamati told The Daily Observer, "If I get any information of collecting tolls illegally from locals, police takes action. However, locals mostly do not file any complaint with the police in this regard."
Police and other law enforcing agencies have been conducting separate drives to catch the armed terrorists for long, he added.
Rangamati Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mohammad Mizanur Rahman told this correspondent armed terrorists-cum-extortionists also have illegal arms and ammunition. Though the local people of the hills are peace-loving, activists of local groups were involved in various criminal activities including collecting tolls illegally, he added.
