Army says UPDF instigated violence in Khagrachhari to provoke communal unrest
It also alleged that UPDF has been attempting to bring in external militants equipped with indigenous weapons to incite violence.
The Army on Sunday night (28 September) issued an official statement in response to the recent violence in Guimara upazila of Khagrachhari, which occurred on 27 and 28 September.
According to the statement, tensions began escalating following the murder of motorcyclist Mamun on 19 September 2024. In the aftermath, the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) and its affiliated organisations allegedly attempted to incite communal unrest in Dighinala and Rangamati, leading to clashes with security forces. These clashes resulted in the deaths of three individuals and injuries to several locals.
To mark the one-year anniversary of that incident, the UPDF and its affiliates organised protest rallies across various locations in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, reportedly in an effort to prevent a recurrence of similar violence, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
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On the night of 23 September 2025, following the reported rape of a schoolgirl in Singinala area of Khagrachhari, a UPDF (Main) suspect, Shayan Shil, was arrested on 24 September with assistance from the army and later remanded.
Despite this arrest, PCP leader Ukhanu Marma — an affiliate of the UPDF — called for a protest and human chain in Khagrachhari on 24 September under the banner of 'Jumma Chhatra Janata'. This was followed by a half-day strike in the district on 25 September. Simultaneously, various inflammatory and provocative statements targeting Bengali communities were spread online by domestic and expatriate bloggers, as well as certain individuals from the hill regions.
On 26 September, under the leadership of UPDF activist Ukhanu Marma and influenced by provocative online content, tensions surged across Khagrachhari. During a blockade, some protesters allegedly threw stones and bricks at patrolling army personnel, injuring three soldiers. Despite the provocation, the army said it responded with restraint, patience, and humanity, refraining from the use of force.
On 27 September, the UPDF and affiliated groups again allegedly attempted to spark unrest through sabotage — including shooting at civilians (including Bengalis), vandalism, attacks on ambulances, and road blockades. The unrest reportedly deteriorated the law and order situation in the entire Khagrachhari municipality area, taking on the appearance of a communal riot. In response, the district administration imposed Section 144 in Khagrachhari and Guimara.
To restore order, the Army, BGB, and other law enforcement agencies worked through the night with restraint and coordination, ultimately preventing what the Army described as an "inevitable communal riot."
However, on 28 September, UPDF activists reportedly violated Section 144 in the Ramsu Bazar area of Guimara upazila. From early morning, they allegedly incited the public to block roads, completely shutting down the Guimara-Khagrachhari route.
At around 10:30am, UPDF workers and local Bengali residents clashed in the area. When army personnel intervened, they were attacked with indigenous weapons, bricks, slingshots, and batons, injuring 10 personnel, including three officers.
Simultaneously, BGB vehicles were vandalised in the Ramgarh area, and BGB members were injured. Around 11:30am, members of the UPDF (Main) reportedly opened fire — firing 100 to 150 rounds from automatic weapons from a hilltop west of Ramsu Bazar — targeting army personnel, hill people, and Bengalis involved in the clash. Several civilians were injured by gunfire.
In response, an army patrol team pursued the armed attackers, while other UPDF operatives reportedly set fire to homes in the Ramsu Bazar area and continued clashing with Bengali locals. Additional troops were deployed to Ramsu Bazar and Guimara, bringing the situation under control by around 4:30pm.
The Army claimed that in recent days, UPDF and its affiliated organisations have been systematically forcing women and schoolchildren to participate in their subversive activities in an effort to destabilise the Chittagong Hill Tracts. They also alleged that UPDF has been attempting to bring in external militants equipped with indigenous weapons to incite communal violence.
On the same day (28 September), a large cache of indigenous weapons was seized from a passenger bus at a checkpoint operated by the Kaptai Battalion of the BGB — further evidence, the Army said, of UPDF's alleged efforts to escalate unrest.
The Army views the incidents between 19 and 28 September as part of a larger, orchestrated conspiracy. Relevant evidence is currently with law enforcement agencies.
It called on all political leaders from different ethnic groups in the Hill Tracts, as well as the general public, to act with restraint. It urged all law enforcement agencies, including the Army, to work together to restore peace and stability in the region.
Despite propaganda, misinformation, and provocation, the Army reaffirmed its firm commitment to protecting the sovereignty of Bangladesh and ensuring the safety of all communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
