Hand over Lakingme Chakma’s body to family: rights bodies

Bangladesh Nari Pragati Sangha, Jano Udyog and Human Rights Forum Bangladesh in a joint statement yesterday demanded that the body of 14-year-old deceased Lakingme Chakma be handed over to her family members immediately.

They in the statement also demanded exemplary punishment of the culprits be ensured, after bringing the case under Child Marriage Prevention Act, says a press release.

Lakingme Chakma was a seventh grader. According to her birth certificate, she was 14 years and 10 months old on January 5 when she was abducted from her home.

After 11 months and six days, police called in her father to identify his daughter's body in Cox's Bazar hospital morgue. They, however, did not hand over her body saying the girl was married to one of her abductors who managed a birth certificate that says she was 18.

The leaders of the human rights organisations in the statement said they are observing with deep concern that the dead body of Lakingme Chakma is under the custody of Cox's Bazar Police for the last 10 days due to an unresolved issue concerning her religion and birthdate.

This is a violation of human rights, they said, adding that they are protesting and condemning the incident.

The statement said the decision of converting religion is not lawful for a 14-year-old girl and demanded to ensure re-investigation of the case to bring the true culprit to book.

The members of Human Rights Forum Bangladesh are Ain O Salish Kendra, Acid Survivors Foundation, Bondhu Social Welfare Society, Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, Association for Land Reform and Development, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, Legal Aid and Services Trust, Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF), Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement, Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies, Fair, Karmojibi Nari, Kapaeng Foundation, National Alliance of Disabled People's Organisations, Nagorik Udyog, Naripokkho, Nijera Kori, Steps Towards Development, Transparency International Bangladesh, and Women with Disabilities and Development Foundation.