At least three national minority community people were killed and several dozens, including security personnel, were injured as violence erupted once again in Khagrachari on Sunday amid road blockade there protesting at the rape of a 12-year-old Marma girl.
At least 100 shops, houses, and even vehicles, most of which belong to the national minority people, were set on fire in Ramesu Bazar area in the Guimara upazila in the hill district.
Rape of national minorities in CHT
YEAR聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽RAPE IN CHT
2021聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽12
2022聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽4
2023聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 11
2024聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽5
2025 (January to July)聽 聽6
Source: Kapaeeng Foundation and Bangladesh Indigenous Women Network
Khagrachari district civil surgeon Mohammad Saber on Sunday evening told 抖阴精品 that three persons were brought dead to Khagrachari Sadar Hospital at about 5:30pm on Sunday from Guimara.
鈥楾he bodies are kept at the hospital for autopsy,鈥� he said, adding that four injured persons were also brought to the hospital.
The authorities, however, could not ascertain the identities of the deceased immediately.
Meanwhile, the home affairs ministry in a statement expressed deep sorrow for the killing of three hill people in an attack by 鈥榤iscreants鈥� when 13 army officials, including an army major, and three police officials among several others were injured in the violence at Guimara.
The ministry assured that legal action would be taken against those involved in the violence after an investigation very soon.
鈥楴o culprit will be spared.聽 Until then, the ministry has requested all concerned to remain patient and calm,鈥� the statement added.
A tense situation was prevailing in Khagrachari as an indefinite road blockade, enforced by Jumma Chhatra Janata to protest against the rape of the Marma girl, entered its third day on Sunday while continuing street protests in violation of the Section 144, demanding exemplary punishment for the rapists.
No long-haul or local vehicles were moving since Sunday morning, while additional security has been deployed across the Khagrachari town and Guimara upazila.
The 12-year-old Marma girl was reportedly raped by three Bengali youths on September 23, when she was returning home from private tuition at Singinala in Khagrachari at about 9:00pm.
The victim鈥檚 father filed a case the following day with the Khagrachari sadar police station against three unidentified men.
So far, the police have arrested one suspect, Shayan Shil, who was placed on a six-day remand by a court in Khagrachari.
According to reports by national minority rights bodies Kapaeeng Foundation and the Bangladesh Indigenous Women Network at least 38 women and children were raped in the CHT between 2021 and July 2025.
Amid unrest, Chattogram Hill Tracts affairs adviser Supradip Chakma at a meeting in Khagrachari on Sunday affirmed that strict legal actions would be taken against rapists, armed criminals and extortionists.
He further called for effective measures from the administration and public representatives to prevent future communal conflicts.
The violence broke out despite Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure imposed since Saturday afternoon, restricting public gatherings in the Khagrachhari Municipality, Sadar upazila and Guimara upazila areas.
Footage of the arson has been circulating on social media since the afternoon, showing that the national minority people were in protest as their shops, houses and vehicles were set on fire.
鈥楢t least 100 shops and houses, including my own house, were attacked and set on fire,鈥� said Guimara Union Parishad chairman Mongshwe Chowdhury.
Meanwhile, a clash occurred between the members of the law enforcement agencies and minority community people near Ramesu Bazar on Sunday afternoon, where minority community people took positions, supporting the blockade, 抖阴精品 correspondent in Khagrachari reported.
At that time, blockade supporters reportedly threw bricks at the law enforcers.
At one point, law enforcement officers had shot targeting the minority people, forcing minority people to flee the area for fear of losing their lives.
After this, a group of miscreants swooped on shops and houses in Ramesu Bazar area, looted goods and set them on fire, the minority community people alleged.
Khagrachari district superintendent of police Md Arefin Jewel said that the situation had become tense since Saturday鈥檚 clashes.
鈥楢 large number of army members, Border Guard Bangladesh and the police were deployed across the Sadar and Guimara upazilas to avoid further untoward situation,鈥� he said.
Meanwhile, a cross section of people, including political leaders, students of different universities, rights activists and student leaders, on Sunday held demonstrations and issued statements separately protesting at the rape and attacks on national minorities on Saturday and Sunday.
The Socialist Party of Bangladesh, Ganosamhati Andolon, Left Democratic Alliance, Socialist Students鈥� Front, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, Transparency International Bangladesh in separate statements expressed concern over the violent situation in Khagrachari.
Besides, 84 feminists in another statement demanded exemplary punishment for the persons involved in the rape and also the attacks.
Meanwhile, ethnic minority people under the banner of 鈥楽achetan Chhatra-Juba-Nagarik Samaj鈥� held a protest demonstration in the Chattogram city while leftist student leaders and ethnic minority people under the banner of 鈥楢divasi Chhatra Janata鈥� held a rally in the capital鈥檚 Shahbagh.
Also, Bangladesh Students鈥� Union and Bangladesh Youths鈥� Union jointly brought out a torch procession in the capital鈥檚 Paltan area, leftist student leaders and people under the banner of 鈥楽angkhubdha Chhatra-Janata鈥� brought out a torch procession in the capital鈥檚 Shahbagh area protesting the incidents.
Meanwhile, Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh issued a statement condemning the attack on army personnel in Khagrachari.
Ethnic minority students of Rajshahi University on Sunday staged demonstrations on the campus protesting the rape and the subsequent attacks during a blockade in the district, reported 抖阴精品 Staff Correspondent in Rajshahi.
The Parbatya Chattogram Chhatra Parishad, an organisation of the Bengalis in the CHT, on Sunday held a protest rally in condemnation of what it called 鈥楿nited People鈥檚 Democratic Front鈥檚 shootings on civilians and army personnel in Khagrachari in the name of blockade, attacks on a mosque, looting of shops and instigation of communal clashes, and demanded the immediate ban of the UPDF along with all terrorist groups in the hills, according to New age DU Correspondent.
Earlier, on Saturday, dozens of people were injured during clashes between the national minority people and Bengali people in Khagrachari town during the blockade.
In September 19鈥�20, 2024, four men were killed and scores were injured as a wave of sectarian violence swept the restive hill districts of Khagrachari and Rangamati, sending hundreds of national minority families on the run to save their lives, leaving behind their houses and businesses going up in flames.
The violence was stoked by the discovery of the body of a Bengali man, Mohammad Mamun, on September 18.
