Home Minister announces operation against KNF in Bandarban

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Saturday announced an operation against the armed separatist group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) following the recent bank robberies in Bandarban. “Bandarban was once a very peaceful place, but recently the armed separatist group has committed major criminal activities like bank robberies. These criminal activities will not go unchallenged. A further investigation will determine if anyone else is behind these crimes,” he said. The home minister made the comments during his visit to Ruma upazila in Bandarban on Saturday. Responding to a question from the journalists, the minister said action would be taken if any negligence was found from the banks during the robberies. On Friday, armed men reportedly attacked a checkpost in Alikadam upazila of Bandarban. This follows incidents of robbery, abduction, and a clash between the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) and law enforcement in Ruma and Thanchi upazilas over recent days. The separatist group had also kidnapped the Sonali Bank’s Ruma upazila branch manager on Tuesday, and tried to loot Tk1.5 crore from the vault of the Ruma branch. Unable to take the money, they kidnapped the bank manager, who was rescued later. They also carried out robberies at Sonali Bank and Krishi Bank branches in Thanchi upazila of Bandarban on Wednesday.
Published on: 2024-04-06 11:03:20.817938 +0200 CEST