13/10/2023
Conspiracy to oust the Buddhist Vihara at Longadu in Rangamati.
A conspiracy to evict a Buddhist temple named Vivek Sadhana Banvihar at Vaibonchara under Longadu upazila of Rangamati district is said to be underway.
As part of this conspiracy, on Wednesday (October 11), the settlers seized the land of Bihar and built two houses.
The name of the encroaching settler is Md. Rashed, father's name gaffer .
Settlers attacked Bihar at night when the local population broke land encroachment barriers and illegal houses. At that time the principal of Vihar, Klesh Vijay Bhiksu (9 Varsha), two Sramans Dharma Darshan (18) and Rupam (16) who were staying with him, were forced to flee the Vihar. Settlers looted Bihar's three solar fans and wood for kitchens and built a new house with the same wood overnight.
Return to Bhante Bihar today Thursday (October 12) morning. Meanwhile, a group of army personnel also arrived at the spot and demanded to know from Bhante who demolished the house built by the settlers.
(Note, did not want to know who built houses illegally on Bihar land!)
Instead of arresting the encroaching settlers, the army personnel reportedly told them to stay on the illegally occupied land. At present there are hundreds of settled Bengalis staying there.
Bihar is located 3 km south-west from Longadu upazila headquarters. It was built by local villagers in 2019. The amount of land in Bihar is 3 acres. Sameer donated this land for Chakma Vihar.
Next to Bihar, Sameer Chakma has another 5 acres of recorded land. Settlers also dispossessed his land.
So far the amount of land occupied by the settlers is 2 acres. Settlers will gradually occupy the remaining land of Bihar and Sameer Chakma if they start living permanently in this encroached land or if the encroachment becomes permanent.
If the rest of the land is not forcibly occupied, it will not be possible to defend the Vihar there simply because of the position of the settlers. And if the Bihar is not there, the rest of the land will be lost to the settlers.
In this situation, at least to protect Bihar, there is no other option but to build mass resistance against this unjust land grab by the settlers.
A member of the Bihar management committee, on condition of anonymity, said that if Bihar is to be protected, land encroachment by settlers must be prevented. Otherwise Bihar cannot be saved.
He commented that the army and the general government administration were not neutral and said that it was not possible for the settlers to forcibly take away the land of others without the help of the army and the administration.
