Hill women at Sajek in Rangamati on Monday demanded justice for Kalpana Chakma who was abducted from her home in June 1996 and has remained missing since then.
They made the demand at a protest rally jointly organised by the Hill Women's Federation and the Chittagong Hill Tracts Women's Association at Ujo bazaar after a procession that began from Dapda area to mark the 29th anniversary of her abduction.
The event aimed to raise demand to ensure the safety of women across the country and build a united movement at hills and plains on women's rights.
CHTWA Baghaichhari Upazila unit president Amita Chakma presided over the rally, according to a press release.
Hill Women's Federation central leader Anti Chakma, HWF鈥檚 Baghaichari upazila unit president Sukhi Chakma, Pahari Chhatra Parishad鈥檚 Rangamati unit finance secretary Jhimit Chakma, among others, addressed the rally moderated by the CHTWA Baghaichhari Upazila unit general secretary Parani Chakma.聽
Anti Chakma said that the people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts are oppressed, tortured and harassed due to what she claimed 鈥榤ilitary rule鈥� in the area for a long time.
She alleged that no government investigated Kalpana Chakma kidnapping properly and alleged that the perpetrators who were in government service were promoted.
The speakers also called on the interim government to immediately bring Kalpana Chakma's kidnappers to justice and ensure exemplary punishment for the perpetrators.
Kalpana Chakma, 23, was allegedly abducted from her house in Baghaichhari on June 12, 1996, several hours before the seventh national election. She was campaigning for independent candidate Bijoy Ketan Chakma, then a senior presidium member of the Pahari Gana Parishad backed by all hill people organisations.
In April 2023, a Rangamati court accepted the final report submitted by the police clearing all suspects, including army鈥檚 Lieutenant Ferdous Kaisar Khan in a case filed with the Baghaichari police station by Kalpana鈥檚 brother Kalindi Kumar Chakma following her disappearance.