Police raid self-isolated Mro village in Bandarban

Police on Friday morning conducted a drive at a remote village of Mro communities by breaking through a fence put up for a community-wide isolation to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Lama upazila of Bandarban.

Locals of Dekichhara Para say five policemen from the Lama police station, including Sub-Inspector (SI) Md Mainuddin, led a raid and arrested two innocent men, including the village chief.

The arrestees were identified as Langkom Mro, 48, the village chief, and Ring Rong Mro, 50, a resident of the village.

Lama police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Mizanur Rahman said: “We conducted the drive and arrested the men for they were accused in a case filed for some stolen acacia trees from the garden of Meridian Agro Limited.”

On breaking down the lockdown fence, the OC said he wasn’t aware of the matter. “You may contact SI Mainuddin to know the details.”

Contacted, SI Mainuddin denied the allegation of breaking the fence.

He informed that on March 29, a case was filed against eight villagers of Dekichhara Mro Para, including five to six unknown people, who were accused of stealing acacia trees from a garden of Meridian Agro Limited.

Locals allege that Meridian Agro Limited grabbed their Jhum lands and when they protested they were sued under a false case.

Contacted, an official of Meridian Agro Limited, denied the allegation, saying the company did not grab Jhum lands from the Mro community.