Ramsu Bazar in Khgrachhari reduced to rubble, 85 shops and homes worth Tk25cr burned

Ramsu Bazar, located just half a kilometre from the Guimara upazila headquarters in Khagrachhari, was once a thriving market predominantly inhabited by the Marma community. Shopkeepers ran everything from grocery and clothing stores to electronics and daily necessities.

Thousands of people from five surrounding neighbourhoods relied on this market for all kinds of goods. Over the past two decades, the Marma community had built the market to become largely self-sufficient.

However, it was not only the Marma community; the market was also a place of harmonious coexistence with several other communities, including Bengalis.

But after an unprecedented clash on Sunday, 28 September, the entire Ramsu Bazar area has been reduced to rubble. The conflict, sparked by a continuous blockade since Saturday morning in protest of the rape of a Marma teenage girl, left three dead from gunfire and at least 16 injured.

At the same time, fires set by miscreants destroyed at least 85 shops and homes, including five NGO offices and a turmeric warehouse. Local sources estimate the preliminary loss at around Tk25 crore.

On Tuesday morning, entering a bridge from the Chattogram–Khagrachhari road, a strict security presence was immediately visible. On the left side of the road stands a three-storey building locally known as Shibu Ghosh's building. Bullet marks are visible on the ground-floor walls.

This building houses offices of the youth development department, social services department, project director's office of the Chattogram Hill Tracts development board, women's affairs office, tathyo apa office, food controller's office, and Surjer Hasi clinic among nine government and non-government organisations.

All windows of every room in the three-storey building have been smashed. The entire building was set on fire. Glass shards are scattered outside. Eight motorcycles kept in the stairwell were burned, with only remnants remaining.

Tiles from the stairwell were shattered in the fire. Power supply has been cut off due to the fire, leaving the stairwell in pitch darkness. Using a mobile light to go upstairs, one can see every room locked, with walls blackened from fire. Three motorcycles in the garage beside the building were also set on fire.

A short distance away is the turmeric warehouse, partially made of concrete, which was also set ablaze. The fire was not completely extinguished by Tuesday morning, with smoke still rising.

On the right side of the access road to Ramsu Bazar is a sawmill, which was also set on fire. One room of the sawmill near the bridge was burned, smoke still rising. Another two-storey building was vandalised and set on fire.

The owners of these buildings, sawmill, and warehouse, Sumon Ghosh and Ganesh Ghosh, told TBS that they were not present at their businesses during the Sunday violence. Yet someone set fire to their properties, causing an estimated Tk5 crore in damage.

Jhantu Pal, owner of the turmeric warehouse, said it stored about 300 tonnes of turmeric. The fire destroyed all the turmeric, resulting in over Tk7 crore in losses.

Further ahead, the destruction becomes even more visible. The goods in neighbouring shops were completely burned to ashes, with infrastructure also damaged. Most shops were completely reduced to ashes, leaving only twisted tin behind. Burned remnants of at least ten motorcycles were seen on both sides of the road.

A shopkeeper named Misen Rakhain said he rented two adjacent shops, running a clothing and tailoring business in one and living with his family in the other. Hearing gunfire during the clash, he locked up and fled. Returning, he saw that all goods had been looted and burned by miscreants.

He said, "I had goods worth nearly Tk20 taka. Many had placed clothing orders for prabana purnima. Everything has turned to ashes. How do I answer my customers?"

Three shops in the market belonged to 60-year-old cancer patient Ansanu Marma. He ran a clothing business in one and rented out the other two. The income supported his family and medical expenses. All his shops were burned to ashes in the fire, leaving him helpless.

He said, "I was supposed to visit a hospital in Chattogram for a check-up today. The fire of revenge has taken everything from me. Only God knows how I will manage my treatment and family now."

A small shopkeeper selling tea and snacks barely managed to make a living. During the clash, his goods were looted and burned, including rice stored at home. He now has no way to cook food.

Since Tuesday morning, several officers from Guimara upazila administration have been inspecting damaged homes and shops to assess initial losses. An agriculture officer, Mohammad Rezaul Karim, told TBS, "So far, we have identified 85 damaged shops and homes. Total losses could exceed Tk25 crore. The turmeric warehouse owner has suffered the most. Many people who fled after the clash have not yet returned, so the number of people affected and the total loss may rise."