‘Stop violence against indigenous people’
Staff Correspondent
Protesting army repression on the ethnic minority groups in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Hill Women's Federation (HWF) placed a four-point demand at a press conference at the National Press Club in the city yesterday to stop violence on indigenous people. The federation demanded immediate arrest of an army major and his associates responsible for attacks on several ethnic families at Babuchhara under Dighinala thana in Khagrachhari district on October 2. The other demands included judicial inquiry into the incident, compensation to the victim's families, withdrawal of army camps from CHT including Babuchhara and stopping of 'Operation Uttaran.' The federation alleged that the members of the army ransacked the house of HWF convenor Rupali Chakma and beat her severely on an allegation of keeping arms. They also beat two other women named Kalika Chakma and Sufiya Chakma and threatened to abduct Kalika's minor girl Muktamoni, it claimed. The army persons also dug out the floor of their houses in search of arms. After the publication of the story in Bhorer Kagoj on October 3, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) department denied the allegation in a statement on October 6. Terming the ISPR statement as totally inaccurate, the speakers at the press conference said it was issued only to protect the army persons. In a written statement at the press conference, federation President Sonali Chakma said the repression on women in CHT is nothing new and the army always tries to suppress its evil activities. Former President of HWF Kabita Chakma, and Office Secretary Malina Chakma were present on the occasion.
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