2 including KNF women's wing chief coordinator arrested in Bandarban

The Rapid Action Batallion (RAB) have arrested two people including the chief coordinator of the women's wing of Kuki Chin National Front (KNF), a separatist armed outfit in the hills, in a raid in Bandarban.

They were arrested in a raid carried out by RAB-15 members on Friday (May 17) morning, said RAB sources.

The arrestees have been identified as Chief Coordinator of KNF Women's Wing Jinthiam Bom alias Akim Bom (18) and KNF member Lalsiamlong Bom (60).

“RAB-15 arrested the chief coordinator of KNF’s women's wing of Bandarban Sadar and Rowangchari upazila from Laimi Para area of Bandarban Sadar Upazila,” said RAB-15 squadron leader Tauhid.

He said, “The operation of the joint forces is going on to detain those involved in KNF’s bank robbery, robbery of weapons of law enforcement forces and kidnapping of bank manager. Acting on a tip-off, RAB raided Laimi neighborhood arresting two people including the chief coordinator of the women's wing.”

At a press conference organized in the auditorium of Bandarban Hill District Council over the incident, RAB-15 Commander of Colonel HM Sajjad Hossain said women members were also involved in the KNF bank robbery incident. The task of coordinating the women's wing of the armed organization KNF was mainly handled by the detained Akim Bom.

“Akim Bom used to study in a school in Kaokradong Hill. The school teacher was the girl's father. While studying at school, she befriends and falls in love with a young man named Michael. Basically he got involved with KNF being influenced by Michael. Akim Bom has already trained several times outside the country. This has been confirmed in the preliminary investigation,” he claimed at the press conference.

Citing intelligence information, the RAB commander said she used to encourage women from the surrounding Bom community areas including Sadar and Rowangchari upazilas to join the KNF. The number of women among the armed terrorists associated with the KNF is also significant.

Mentionable, nine cases have been filed so far over the bank robberies at Ruma and Thanchi upazilas in Bandarban, robbery of 14 weapons of law enforcement personnel, and kidnapping a bank manager. Among those, four cases were filed with Thanchi and five with Ruma police stations. In these cases, 84 people have been arrested and sent to jail on the orders of the court for their involvement with the incidents. Among them 24 are women.