Law enforcers have utterly failed to protect the members of the International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission from coming under attack by Bangalee settlers on Saturday.

Rangamati MP Ushatan Talukder and several socio-cultural and rights organisations yesterday criticised the law enforcers for their failure and squarely blamed a vested quarter for the attack.

"The administration and the law enforcement agencies should have been more active in protecting the members of the visiting [ICHT] delegation," said Ushatan Talukder.

Saturday's attack left three delegation members, a driver and a policeman injured in Rangamati, forcing the commission to cancel its visit midway.

The commission's visit was scheduled to review, in light of the 1997 peace accord, the situation in which indigenous people are living in the three hill districts. The visit comes amid widespread allegations of land grabbing by Bangalee settlers and security forces.

The commission has been trying to help the hill people get back their land taken away by pushing landless majority Bangalees in the areas since 1980s.

In his statement, the Rangamati lawmaker referred to some organisations' repeated announcements of resisting the visit since its date was announced. He also drew the attention to the lax security that became clear after the attack.

"An aggressive fundamentalist quarter has long been orchestrating unrest in the hilly areas by obstructing the ongoing process of restoring peace there, "he added.

The attack was part of the fundamentalists' conspiracy.

After the attack, Sultana Kamal, a member of the delegation, said the attackers came from behind the local office of military intelligence DGFI and even fired two bullets from their gun.

Samajik Protirodh Committee, Bangladesh Hindu, Buddha, Christian Oikya Parishad, Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity and Bangladesh Mahila Parishad demanded an investigation into the attack and bring the culprits to book.

The attack highlights the helplessness of the indigenous people of the hills.

Yesterday, Rangamati police filed a case against 30-35 unidentified people for injuring Monu Sohel Imtiaz, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station.