Brihattaro Parbatya Chattagram Pahari Chhatra Parishad on Friday organised a rally in Khagrachari denouncing mass arrests and harassment in Bandarban in the name of joint operation.

The organisation’s Khagrachari unit brought out the rally at about 12:00pm in Khagrachari town.

Speakers at the event demanded immediate release of innocent people arrested in the drive, launched following bank robberies in Bandarban and attack on security outpost between April 2 and 3.

They also said that following recent incidents of bank robberies, arms snatching, and abductions between April 2 night and April 3 afternoon in Ruma and Thanchi, a joint security force operation in Ruma, Thanchi, and Alikadam upazilas led to the arrest of over 60 people from the Bowm ethnic community.

The drive even arrested eight ethnic Tripura people as alleged members of the ethnic armed group Kuki-Chin National Front from Rangamati’s Belaichhari. But due to protests, they were released, they added. 

They alleged that innocent hill people were arrested levelling as terrorists.

On April 2, KNF tried to loot Tk 1.5 crore from the vault of Sonali Bank’s Ruma upazila branch. In failure, they kidnapped the branch manager Nezam Uddin, who was rescued two days later.

They also carried out robberies at Sonali Bank and Krishi Bank branches in Thanchi upazila on April 3.

They looted at least 14 firearms, over 400 bullets, and Tk 17 lakh in cash during the attacks in Ruma and Thanchi.

Until April 17, the security forces so far arrested 58 people in their joint operation in connection with the incidents. The police separately arrested 14 others.