Hnila Buddhist Temple Destruction

Two indigenous Rakhaine villagers attacked by land grabbers

Source: Kapaeeng Foundation
On 11 May 2011 at around 3.30 pm the Bengali land grabbers of Hnila Buddhist temple and cemetery of indigenous Rakhaine people at Hnila area of Teknaf upazila (sub district) in Cox’s Bazaar district attacked on two innocent indigenous Rakhaine villagers namely Mr. Mong Hla Rakhaine and Mr. Faa She Rakhaine, the residents of North Hnila Bazaar Para (Maug Para). The physical assault was led by Rashed Mahmud Ali, son of former Member of Parliament (MP) Prof. Mohammad Ali, the main perpetrators of land grabbing of the temple and graveyard of Rakhaine people at Hnila.
It is learnt that, Rashed Mahmud Ali made a bogus allegation to these two indigenous villagers of burglary of his goat, afterward tied them up with lash and beaten them up brutally. The critically injured victims tried to file a case with Teknaf police station against the land grabbers, but the police officers rejected to accept any case against the miscreants.
It is mentionable that the former Member of Parliament (MP) Prof. Mohammad Ali and his son Rashed Mahmud Ali, along with their cadres have been conducting attacks one after one with an intention to grab the lands of hundred year-old Buddhist temple of south Hnila of Teknaf upazila and graveyard of Rakhaine people. They destructed the temple, damaged and looted the Buddha’s images, attacked local indigenous Rakhaine peoples including Buddhist monks and constructed houses on the lands of Buddhist temple and the graveyard of Rakhaine people. They have also been threatening indigenous Rakhaine peoples to further attack if they continue protest against the land grabbing.
The local indigenous Rakhaine people already made objections against the land grabbing of Buddhist temple and graveyard and continuous harassments of land grabbers to the local police station of Teknaf, chairman of Hnila Union Parishad, the police super of Cox’s Bazaar, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Teknaf Upazila (sub district), the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Cox’ Bazzar district and finally to the Prime Minister of Government of Bangladesh Shekh Hasina. Although they appealed to the several authorities to take necessary measures, but no actions have been taken against the land grabbers and to protect the holy places of indigenous Rakhaine people.