Hill Voice, 11 June 2026, Special Correspondent: It has been alleged that yesterday, Wednesday (10 June) at approximately 4 am, armed terrorists of the anti-CHT Accord UPDF burned to ashes about 800 maunds of dry turmeric, the hard-earned harvest of five Tripura villagers, at a place called Kalu Chara (Boat Ghat) in Sajek Union of Baghaichari Upazila under Rangamati District.
According to village sources, UPDF terrorists burned the villagers’ turmeric because they did not respond to the mobile phone call of UPDF for extortion.
According to local sources, an armed group led by UPDF Vice President Natun Kumar Chakma and Company Commander Ranjan Moni Chakma alias Ade burned 800 maunds of dried turmeric stored in the warehouse of Tripura villagers early the morning. The turmeric were burnt when the villagers failed to respond to the phone call made earlier by UPDF terrorists for extortion.
It is learnt that Tripura traders there buy dried turmeric every year and store it by building houses on the banks of the Kalu River at the foot of the Kalu Hills. The UPDF terrorists set fire to the stored turmeric.
At this time, after burning the store-house, the villagers found a note from the UPDF armed terrorists. The note read, “I have sent you messages 839 and 377. I asked you to contact me. You did not do it by cheating. That is why I am forced to destroy.”
Among the victims, Mithun Joy Tripura, a Karbari of Longtian Para in Sajek, lost 400 maunds, Lavendra Tripura, a resident of Arun Para, lost 300 maunds, Parsona Tripura, a Karbari of Arun Para, lost 20-30 maunds, Sibahan Tripura lost 20-30 maunds, and Kartik Kumar Tripura lost 20-30 maunds, with a total of 800 maunds of dried turmeric worth about Tk 50 lakhs at the current market value.
Currently, the affected people are living in fear and anxiety. They complain, ‘Whenever UPDF demanded an annual extortion, we did not refuse it. Even when they (UPDF members) came to the village, they would forcibly slaughter pigs and goats and eat meal. Even then, they caused us such great harm.’
