316 killed in armed group attacks in CHT in five years: home minister

At least 316 people, including 308 civilians and eight members of security forces, were killed in attacks by armed groups in the Chittagong Hill Tracts over the past five years, home minister Salahuddin Ahmed told Jatiya Sangsad on Wednesday.

During the period, 435 civilians and 55 security personnel were also injured, while armed groups carried out 97 attacks on security forces, he said in a written reply to a question from Manikganj-1 lawmaker SA Jinnah Kabir in the Jatiya Sangsad.

The minister, responding on behalf of the prime minister, said the armed groups had carried out 194 attacks on the Bengali community and 81 attacks on people from ethnic minority communities in the three hill districts of Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban.

He said 297 incidents of abduction, 471 incidents of extortion by force and 377 incidents involving the use of illegal firearms had also been recorded in the region over the five years.

Salahuddin said the armed forces' special operation, Operation Uttaran, was continuing to maintain peace and order in the region and suppress the activities of armed groups.

He said the army, Border Guard Bangladesh, police and Special Response Battalion had stepped up regular patrols and intelligence activities to prevent criminal activities.

The government had adopted a strict policy against illegal arms holders, extortionists and terrorists in the hills, with cases being filed under existing laws and suspects brought to justice, he added.

The minister said regular joint special operations involving the army, BGB, police and SRB were being conducted to eliminate the activities of old and newly formed regional armed groups and recover illegal weapons.

A large quantity of sophisticated firearms, live ammunition, magazines, camouflage uniforms and drones and signal equipment used by the armed groups had also been recovered during the operations, he added.