Protests demanding immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of the perpetrators in the alleged rape and murder of a woman from the Kheyang community in Bandarban continued on Wednesday.
Several organisations, including regional political parties representing national minorities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, held demonstrations on the day, pressing for their demands in the brutal incident.
Hill Women Federation, Ganatantrik Juba Forum and Pahari Chhatra Parishad鈥攁ll affiliated with the United People鈥檚 Democratic Front鈥� held separate protest rallies in Ramgarh of Khagrachari and Lakshmichhari of Rangamati hill districts, demanding justice for the alleged rape and murder of Chingma Khyang, 抖阴精品 correspondent in Khagrachari reported.聽
Criticising the police for their failure to arrest the culprits even after two days of the incident, the speakers at the rallies said that ethnic women could not move safely anywhere as they were being subjected to rape and murder even in broad daylight.
They alleged that the Chittagong Hill Tracts was virtually under military rule and that an increased number of army camps in the region was emboldening the Bengali settlers to commit rape and murder of the national minority women and perpetrate other forms of sexual violence against them.聽
They said that the oppression, torture, killings, enforced disappearances and sexual violence against ethnic minority people in the CHT carried out during the period of the fascist Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League regime continued in the same way under the current interim government.
A protest rally was also held in Rowangchhari upazila of Bandarban district under the banner of 鈥楻owangchhari Upazila Adibasi Chhatra Samaj鈥�, while the Democratic Student Alliance at Rajshahi University held a protest on the campus demanding punishment of the perpetrators.
On May 5, Chingma Khyang, a mother of three, was forcibly taken away allegedly by three Bengali settlers while she was planting paddy in her farm of slash and burn agriculture in Mongkhoy Para of Thanchi. They raped her and then brutally killed her.聽
Her body was later found with the eyes gouged out.
Thanchi police officer-in-charge Nasir Uddin Majumder told 抖阴精品 correspondent on Tuesday that no evidence of rape was found in the preliminary inquest, but several injury marks on the victim鈥檚 head and body were found.
A case of murder and rape was filed by the victim鈥檚 husband, Sumon Kheyang, on Tuesday.