Identify rapist of Marma girl

The government has to identify the culprits, who raped a Marma girl and sexually assaulted her sister in Rangamati recently, and bring them to book soon, demanded eminent civil society representatives yesterday.

They also sought that the victims, who are at a Rangamati hospital under tight security, be handed over to the Chakma king after proper treatment.

Security has to be ensured for the Marma family as well, they told a press conference organised by Nagorik Samaj at Jatiya Press Club.

On January 22, a member of a security force allegedly raped a Marma girl, aged 18, and sexually assaulted her 13-year-old sister during a raid in Bilaichhari upazila.

The next day, they were admitted to the hospital, where the law enforcers did not allow journalists and rights activists to talk to the victims.

No case was filed yet although Bilaichhari police filed a general diary following a court order and widespread protests and condemnation by rights activists and social media users.

At the conference, eminent rights activist Advocate Sultana Kamal said such an allegation against a security force member is not good, so everybody should protest it.

In the country, victims are harassed when they want justice, she said.

“We express deep condemnation and protest the Rangamati incident,” said Sultana, also a former caretaker government adviser.

Nijera Kori Coordinator Khushi Kabir said the Rangamati victims are suffering from psychological trauma while the hospital environment and “pressure from different sides made them sick”.

Dhaka University Professor Geeti Ara Nasrin, Liberation War Museum Trustee Ziauddin Tarik Ali and Association for Land Reform and Development Executive Director Shamsul Huda also spoke.