At least 25,000 armed members of six regional separatist outfits are active in Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban districts of Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT). The armed members get fixed salary from their respective outfits. The salary also depends on their ranks, according to sources.
Six regional groups, United People's Democratic Front (UPDF Prasit), 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.
Intelligence sources said at least 3,500 armed members of the six regional extremist groups are involved in illegal toll collection. Of them, 1,200 belong to UPDF while 1,000 belong to JSS-Santu, 400 of JSS (Reformists), 400 belong to Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), 280 belong to UPDF (Democrats) and 220 of Mog National Party (MNF). Others members of the six groups were involved in collecting arms and ammunition, imparting military training to fresh recruits of the groups
There are 3 to 4 thousand armed and unarmed members belonging to the newly formed extremist groups Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) in Mizoram and Chattogram, according to their official webpage Mahabahu.com. At least 9 to 11 thousand armed members belong to (UPDF Prasit), UPDF (Democrats) and another 10 to 11 thousand members belong to JSS-Santu and JSS (Reformists) and around 1,000 members belong to MNF, according to local and intelligence sources.
The fund is used for purchasing arms and ammunition, military training and paying salary and perks to members of the groups. These six groups also collect foreign fund. At least 1,292 people were killed for not paying extortion money in the Chattogram Hill Tracts since the signing the CHT Agreement it was learnt.
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.
Armed conflicts among the regional armed groups in CHT are escalating. Recently, a new armed organization named Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) emerged in Chattogram Hill Tracts and they are demanding autonomy for nine upazilas of three hill districts Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban. Analyzing the posts of KNF Facebook (FB) page, it can be seen that KNF is formed to establish the rights of 6 small ethnic groups of the Chattogram Hill Tracts such as: Bawm, Khumi, Lusai, Pankhoa, Mro and Khiang.
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.
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.
According to an interview of Shantu Larma on November 11 of 2011 in Independent News Channel, PCJSS is maintaining armed cadre for different purposes.
Rangamati Superintendent of Police Mir Abu Touhid said, "We take immediate action if we get any complaint about extortion. We have arrested many toll collectors."
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 the even after 25 years of the hill agreement, Jana Sanghati Samity (JSS), United People's Democratic Front (Prasit), UPDF (Gontantrik) and Mog Liberation Party (MLP) are creating anarchy in the hills. At present there are 25,000 active armed members belonging to the six regional groups. These groups paid monthly salary their arms cadres, he added.
Dipankar Talukdar, President of the Parliamentary Standing Committee to the Ministry of Food, and member of parliament from Rangamati constituency, said the anarchic situation created by killing and abducting innocent people who are in favour of the peace agreement in the hills is hindering the implementation of the peace agreement. He said the distance and suspicion created between the two groups due to the signing of the peace accord are big obstacles for the implementation of the agreement.
