Khagrachhari sees protest rally over gang rape, fresh blockade on Saturday
A protest rally and march were held in Khagrachhari against the gang rape of a teenage girl of a ethnic minority community.
As per the previously announced programme, the event took place today, Friday afternoon, at Chengi Square in Khagrachhari. Thousands of students and local people from the ethnic minority community joined the protest.
The programme was organised under the banner of Jumma Chhatra Janata.
The protest march started from the college ground and marched through Chengi Square, Mahajonpara, Narikelbagan, Shapla Chattar, Adalat Road and several other streets before returning to Chengi Square, where the rally was held.
At the rally, the speakers announced a dawn-to-dusk road blockade in Khagrachhari again on Saturday.
Speakers at the rally included student leaders Ukkyenu Marma, Kripayon Tripura, and Kabita Chakma representing the Jumma Chhatra Janata, with Akash Tripura representing the Tripura Students Forum, and Wabai Marma, Mongsai Marma, along with Angsui Marma representing the Bangladesh Marma Student Council.
Speakers said women of all ages are unsafe in both the hills and the plains. They blamed the situation on a culture of impunity. If the administration had been strict, such incidents would not occur. Even three days after the incident, police have failed to arrest the two accused, they said.
On 27 June, a student in Khagrachhari Sadar was gang-raped, but the two accused in that case also remain at large. They argued that repeated impunity is the reason such crimes continue to occur in the hills.
The victim girl’s father told Prothom Alo that his daughter would go for private tuition every evening and return home by 9:00 pm. This was her routine. But last Tuesday, when she did not return by 9:00 pm, the family went to the tutor’s home, where they were told the class had ended at the usual time.
With the help of locals, they began searching the area. Around 11:00 pm, she was found unconscious in a crop field and was later admitted to the district sadar hospital, the father added.
When asked about accused’s arrests, superintendent of police (SP) in Khagrachhari Arefin Jewel told Prothom Alo that one of the accused had been arrested and placed on a five-day remand by the court yesterday, Thursday. Efforts are on to apprehend the other suspects.
At the rally, Ukkyenu Marma alleged that members of the law enforcement had picked him up around 8:00 pm last night and tortured him, but later released him due to public resistance.
He declared that if the remaining accused were not arrested, a dawn-to-dusk road blockade would be held in Khagrachhari tomorrow, Saturday.
However, in consideration of the upcoming Durga Puja, the protest would remain suspended afterwards. If the demands were not met within this time, a continuous strike would be enforced, Ukkyenu warned.