Chakma Raja (Circle Chief) Barrister Devasish Roy has blamed a section of Bengali settlers in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) for various crimes, including sexual violence, claiming that a prevailing “culture of impunity” continues to encourage such offences in the region.
In a strongly-worded statement issued on Saturday, the Chakma king condemned the recent gang-rape of a Tripura teenage girl in Khagrachhari and demanded swift justice for the victim.
Already, allegations have surfaced that those accused in the case are affiliated with different tiers of the local BNP and its associate organisations.
In protest of the incident, several indigenous organisations held demonstrations and rallies in Rangamati and Dhaka University’s TSC on Friday, calling for exemplary punishment for the perpetrators.
“This heinous and barbaric assault on a Tripura teenage girl in the Latiban area of Khagrachhari is deeply shocking and utterly reprehensible. It has been alleged that Bengali settler youths were responsible for this attack,” Barrister Devasish said in his statement.
He further noted that such violence against indigenous women and girls by non-indigenous men is not a new phenomenon in the Chittagong Hill Tracts or other parts of the country, describing it as part of a disturbing pattern that has continued for decades.
“There is a long-standing history of such crimes going unpunished, creating a culture of impunity that has only served to encourage further violence,” he added.
Devasish demanded the immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of those involved, along with proper medical care, psychosocial support, legal aid, security, and rehabilitation for the victim and her family.
He also urged law enforcement agencies to refrain from harassing or obstructing peaceful protests and legitimate expressions of outrage from citizens.
According to reports, the eighth-grade student was gang-raped on the night of 27 June in the Vaibonchhara Bazar area. The victim later attempted suicide by consuming poison.
Following a case filed by the girl’s father on Wednesday, police arrested four suspects the same night.
Those arrested are Arman Hossain (32), president of the Vaibonchhara union unit of the Swechchhasebak Dal; Imon Hossain (25), a member of the same organisation; Enayet Hossain (35); and Saddam Hossain (32), general secretary of the local Labour Party.
Other accused named in the case include Munir Islam (29), joint secretary of the union BNP, and Sohel Islam (23), assistant organising secretary of the union Chhatra Dal.
The case has sparked outrage across indigenous communities, who say this latest incident reflects a broader pattern of violence against ethnic minorities in the region.