Army commander orders Jummas to transact in a new bazaar

chtnews.com
News No. 121/2008, June 29, 2008

On 23 June, an army commander in Marishya ordered the Jummas to transact in a new bazaar or market place opened at Dui Tila after settling hundreds of Bengali settler families in the area.

The commander of Dui Tila camp has been trying to force the Jummas to go to the new bazaar for the last few months, sources in Dighinala said. But they could not give his name.

"You must come to this new bazaar and sell all your produce here. You are barred from selling them in any other market." the commander was quoted by a Jumma resident in Dighinala, Khagrachari district as ordering the Jumma villagers in Dui Tila area.

Over the last few months, the military has settled hundreds of new Bengali settlers after taking away land from the Jummas. In the process the settlers have destroyed many houses, orchards and fruit gardens of the Jumma villagers.

Now the army wants a new market to be open in the area in the interest of the settlers. But Jummas has opposed the idea.

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