Protest in Rangamati over rape of 14-year-old girl

Pahari Chhatra Parishad (PCP) and Hill Women's Federation held a protest march and rally today in Rangamati to protest the rape of a 14-year-old girl in Khagrachari.

The protest march began this morning at the Rangamati Kumar Sumit Roy Gymnasium, proceeded past the Deputy Commissioner's office, and looped back to its starting point, where a rally was held on the road in front of the gymnasium.

Speakers at the event said that the people of the hills had hoped that the interim government would take effective steps to implement the CHT Peace Accord, that the "regime of exploitation and oppression" in the Chittagong Hill Tracts would stop after the change in government.

However, they claimed that "there was no reflection of that hope."

"Rapes, disappearances and murders are happening in the hills because the agreement [peace accord] is not being implemented," they said.

The speakers also demanded that all those involved in the rape incident should be brought under the law and appropriate punishment be implemented.

The protest rally was presided over by Kavita Chakma, vice president of the Hill Women's Federation Rangamati District Committee. Among the speakers were Sumitra Chakma, general secretary of the Rangamati District Committee of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Youth Association; Mranusingh Marma, general secretary of the Hill Women's Federation Central Committee; Sunity Bikash Chakma, organising secretary of the Chittagong Hill Pahari Chhatra Parishad (PCP) Rangamati District; and Jaisainung Marma, general secretary of the Bangladesh Marma Student Council Rangamati District Branch, along with others.

Police on Wednesday arrested four men in connection with the rape, shortly after the victim's father filed a case against six named individuals with Sadar Police Station, according to Arefin Jewel, superintendent of police in Khagrachhari.

According to the case statement, the girl had been staying at a relative's house after attending a fair on the night of the incident. The six men allegedly broke into the house, tied up the relative, and raped her.

She initially did not tell anyone about the incident out of fear, but on July 12, she attempted to take her own life. After being hospitalised, she shared the details with her family.

A doctor at the hospital said on Thursday that her condition is critical.