Yet another PCJSS man shot dead

A supporter of the Parbatya Chattogram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) was shot dead in Bandarban’s Rowangchhari upazila early yesterday.

The deceased, Aung Sing Ching Marma, 38, was a resident of Thoai Aung Gya Para, a remote area in the upazila.

Quoting family of the victim, police said seven to eight men picked up Aung Sing at gunpoint from his house around 1:30am.

Later, locals found his bullet-hit body at a spot about one kilometre away from his house.

Maching Aung Marma, secretary of PCJSS Rowangchhari upazila unit, has blamed Mogh Bahini for the murder.

“The Mogh Bahini is behind the gruesome murders of our supporters. We demand immediate arrest of the criminals,” he said. “Some ruling party men have been sheltering Mogh Bahini members and using them to harm locals, the PCJSS men in particular, since the December 30 elections.”

On May 7, a member of PCJSS was shot dead in the same area. Another PCJSS man, Puladon Tongchangya, 40, was abducted from Rajbila union the same day and remains traceless till date.

Two days later, another PCJSS supporter was shot dead by the Mogh Bahini at Bakichhara rubber garden in Rowangchhari, locals said.

On May 19, brother of a local Awami League leader was shot dead in Rajbila while a local leader of Jubo League was shot dead inside his home in Rajasthali upazila under neighbouring Rangamati district.

On May 25, body of former vice-president of AL Bandarban unit Chaw Thowai Mong Marma, 53, was recovered from a remote hilly zone of Kuhalong union in Bandarban Sadar.

Chaw Thowai, also a former commissioner of ward 5 in Bandarban, was allegedly abducted from his farmhouse on the night of May 22.

Locals said the members of Mogh Bahini often came to their neighbourhoods with weapons and warned them not to support PCJSS.

“We have been passing sleepless nights because of the threats from the criminals of Mogh Bahini,” said a resident of Thoai Aung Gya Para, seeking anonymity.

The Detective Branch of police in Bandarban arrested two suspected members of Mogh Bahini in Rowangchhari upazila on June 10. Three were held earlier on May 30 in Ruma upazila.

Earlier this month, Kwe Shwe Hla, president of AL’s Bandarban unit, filed a general diary with Bandarban police. He claimed that PCJSS was spreading propaganda on social media that he had been patronising Mogh Bahini.

“I have never patronised Mogh Bahini. An armed group of PCJSS is behind the killings of our party men in the district,” Shew Hla said.