Indigenous Bagdi mother and daughter raped by Bengali miscreants at Pangsha in Rajbari
On 6 January 2014 an indigenous Bagdi women along with her daughter was gang raped beside of their own home at Brittidanga village of Sarisha Union under Pangsha upoziela in Rajbari district. The victims have filed a case (no 3, date 10/01/2015, under section 7/9(3)/30) against the perpetrators named Safin Sheikh (25) and other 4 person with Pangsha police station.
It is learnt that the day of incident, at around 8.30 pm, Safin Sheikh, younger brother of acting Union Parishad (UP) member Sohrab Hossain, Oli Sarder (28), Saddam (22), Ziarul and other 4/5 unidentified persons came to her house and asked them to open the door. The woman was dragged forcefully to a nearby place around 200 yards far from her home, when she opened the door. After a while, they also dragged her daughter who had come to visit her mother two weeks before from her in-laws house. Then, Safin and Oli forcefully raped both mother and daughter and fled away. However, after few hours, the gang led by Safin and Oli came again and they forcefully took mother out of the house and, Shafin and Oli raped the daughter for the second time one after another.
Pangsha police station informed that they arrested the main accused Safin Sheikh and they are trying to arrest the rest of culprits. It is notable that after filing the case, the perpetrators are giving threat to the victims for withdrawing the case; otherwise they will burn them alive with petrol. Now the victims are living in serious insecurity.
A grade II Indigenous student raped in Kaukhali
A 7-year-old Marma girl studying in grade II at Kashkhali Primary School was allegedly raped by a Bengali settler named Ayub Ali, 45, son of Khondoker Sururj Mia of Kashkhali village under Kaukhali upazilla in Rangamati district on 14 January 2015. Police held alleged perpetrator after identified by the victim herself.
On 14 January at around 12:00 pm the girl was returning home from school with a friend of her. At some point she went to buy some snacks and got separated from her friend. Then she started walking back home alone. When she arrived at Kashkhali Bangatila area, the alleged perpetrator, Ayub Ali, appeared in the scene and forcefully raped her. Immediately after raping, Ayub Ali fled the scene.
After she was raped, the victim managed to reach home with her body soaked in blood, informed her mother. The girl was immediately taken to Kaukhali Upazila Health Complex. As her body was heavily bleeding, the doctors referred her to Rangamati General Hospital at around 4:00 pm. However, the doctors in Rangamati General Hospital further referred the victim to Chittagong Medical College Hospital for her better treatment. Later at around 9:00 pm in the night the girl was admitted to the Emergency Department of Chittagong Medical College Hospital. Later, the doctors transferred her to the Gynecology Department, where she was in close observation for two hours and then transferred to the Children’s Department. On 15 January at around 2:00 pm the victim underwent a successful operation. According to her family members, the victim’s health condition has slightly improved. She was under the supervision at the One-stop Crisis Centre of Chittagong Medical College Hospital up to this writing.
Victim’s father filed a case with Kaukhali Police Station on 14 January. Nilu Kanti Barua, Officer in Charge (OC) of Kaukhali Police station, informed that police arrested Ayub Ali on the same day (14 January) in the evening. The victim was produced to the court on 15 January. The perpetrator confessed his misdeed.
Being a poor family, victim’s family was unable to bear the expenses related to medical treatment and other costs. Different community people and indigenous student organizations like CHT Hill Students’ Council and Bangladesh Marma Students’ Council came forward in this regard and provided the victims with limited support. Different rights and civic groups have demanded exemplary punishment of the perpetrator.
In December 2014, a teen-aged girl killed after raping in Kaptai and two girls were attempted of raping in Khagrachari district
On 15 December 2014, a tender-aged Jumma girl identified as Umraching (Atuma)Marma alias Chhobi (15) village ChitmaramKayangGhatunder Kaptaiupazila in Rangamti district was brutally killed on 15 December 2014. It is assumed that UmrachingMarma was killed after raping. The victim had appeared JSC Examination in Chitmaram High School this year.Victim’s father filed a case with Kaptai police station and police arrested two Bengali settlers in connection with this incident.
On 19 December 2014 a 2nd year Marma girl of Mahalchari College was attempted to rape by a Bengali settler youth at Kaptai Para near Mahalchari thana brigde under Mahalchari upazila in Khagrachari district. The miscreant was caught by the public and handed over to police. The victim tried to file case, but police of Mahalchari police station denied accepting any case. On the contrary, alleging torture of said settler youth by the public, Bengali settlers brought out procession.
On 21 December 2014 a 10-year old Tripura girl (grade V student) named Champa Rani Tripura of SudhilaRanjan Headman Para of Taindong union under Matirangaupazila in Khagrachari district was attempted to rape by Md. BadshahMian (22) s/o Harunur Rashid of Majhpara of same upazila.
Babul Hembrom, a Santal student leader killed in Rajshahi
Bablu Hembrom, 25, a leader of Santal Students Union and honours fourth-year student of Rajshahi Government College, was hacked to death by unknown miscreants. He was found dead with the throat slit in his house at Moyenpara of Tanore on January 10, 2015.
Peaceful Blockade against Medical College Set-up turns Rangamati in Turmoil
An all-out dawn-to-dusk road and waterway blockade called on by Chittagong Hill Tracts Hill Students’ Council (popularly known as Pahari Chatra Parishad-PCP) on 10 January 2015 against government’s plan to set-up a medical college in Rangamati has turned this beautiful hill town in turmoil. Due to repeated communal attacks made by hundreds of members of pro-Awami League organizations and Bengali settlers on indigenous peoples, the district administration was compelled to impose section 144 and later curfew in the town.
The government’s plan to set up Rangamati Medical Collage and Rangamati University of Science and Technology has been opposed by indigenous peoples in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) including PCP, a representative student organization of indigenous Jumma students of the CHT. PCP leaders argued that if the medical college and university were set up, thousands indigenous and non-indigenous residents of the region would fall victims of serious adverse impacts. Hence, they demanded postponement the Medical College and the University until the CHT Accord of 1997 is fully implemented by the government.
Yet, overriding this popular demand of CHT’s inhabitants, the government kicked off intake of students for MBBS first year course and planned to inaugurate Rangamati Medical College on 10 January. The decision of the government agitated the indigenous peoples and citizen groups across the country. To protest the initiative of the government, PCP called on all-out dawn-to-dusk road and waterway blockade program on 10 January throughout Rangamati district.
On the day while PCP along with support and participation of students en masse was observing its blockade program, hundreds of members of the Chhatra League, a pro government student organization, Samo Odhikar Andolan and Parbatya Juba Front carried out communal attacks upon the Jumma peoples in different parts of Rangamati town. It all began when the Awami League district committee President, Dipankar Talukder, aboard in his vehicle was passing through Court Building area ignoring the blockade at 9:30 am, instigated the Chatra League members to attack the PCP picketers. The Chhatra League members pelted stones and cocktails at PCP members. As a result, at least 15 persons including Jyotirmoy Chakma, 45; Ripon Chakma, 21; Suresh Chakma, 21; Durjoy Chakma, 25; Mohan Chan Dewan 26; Kanti Chakma, 42; Choto Chakma 28; Moni Chakma, 40; Surjya Chakma, 25; Shyamalendu Chakma, 30; Ankur Bikash Chakma et al sustained serious injuries.
Later on the same day, the miscreants of Chhatra League, Samo Odhikar Andolan and Parbatya Juba Front, spreading communal tension, attempted to attack Jummas in different places of Rangamati including Banarupa, Tribal Adam, Ananda Viahara (a Buddhist temple) and Siddhi Bhaban areas. They pelted brick chips upon Jumma-owned shops and Jumma people. In these attacks, Deborshi Chakma, 38; Probin Chakma, 17; Jibanta Tanchangya, 35; Biki Chakma, 25, son of Bimal Kanti Chakma sustained injuries. Among them, Biki Chakma was hacked by attackers leaving serious injuries in head, cheek and abdomen. He has been shifted to Chittagong Medical College in serious condition.
As the situation was deteriorating as the time was going by, district administration imposed Section 144 in Ragamati town on 10 January at 11:30 am for an indefinite period. However, this effort of the district administration went in vain as the pro-government organization and organizations of settler Bengalis continued to spread communal tension and make attempts to attack upon indigenous peoples in different parts of the town.
On 11 January at around 4:30 pm, Bengali settlers, led by the members of pro-government organizations, made attempts to attack upon indigenous peoples and their shops at Banarupa areas in Rangamati town. Later on the same day violence spread throughout the town and Bengali settlers, led by members of pro-government organizations cracked down on indigenous peoples of Vedvedi, Ananda Vihara, Tabalchari, Reserve Bazar, Public Health area and Kathaltali areas of the hill town. At least 7 indigenous persons namely Samarendu Chakma (25) (an MLSS staff of Deputy Commissioner’s office) at Public Health area; Tarun Bikash Chakma (30) s/o Hengotya Chakma at Vedvedi area; Monikko Dewan Happy (30) w/o Monghla Prue Marma at Tabalchari; Titu Marma (26) and Buddha Moni Chakma (32) s/o Manulal Chakma at Tabalchari were injured. Besides 4 houses including three belonging to indigenous peoples were torched and looted by the miscreants.
Considering the situation ‘out-of-control’ Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Rangamati town Shamsul Arefin, in consultation with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, declared curfew beginning from 7:30 pm on 11 January - 8:00 am on 12 January. In order to ‘pacify’ the situation, curfew was scheduled once again from 5:00 pm on 12 January-7:00 am on 13 January 2015. Later on, the Section 144 was withdrawn from 11:00 am on 13 January 2015. People are virtually locked at their homes and most of the shops, marketplaces, offices, banks etc. remained closed.
Meanwhile, at least 35 persons have held by police for ‘defying’ Section 144 and curfew. Hundreds of members of Army, RAB, BGB and Police have been deployed in the town since 10 January.
Source:
Kapaeeng Foundation
(A Human Rights Organization for Indigenous Peoples of Bangladesh)
Shalma Garden, House # 23/25, Road # 4, Block # B, PC Culture Housing, Mohammadpur, Dhaka-1207, Telephone: +880-2-8190801
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Web: www.kapaeeng.org