News
No. 113/2012, Wednesday,
October 17, 2012
ARMY
soldiers have been accused of attempted rape of three Jumma girls in Mahalchari
under Khagrachari district.
On
14 October, six Jumma girl students – of grade 6th to 10th – were on their way
to Ultachari High
School when some army personnel stood in their
way and tried to pull three of them away by the hands.
However,
they could somehow free themselves and ran away. The other girls also took
flight as fast as they could. The victims are from 9th and 10th grade.
The
soldiers who attacked the girls were from Ultachari camp in Kiang-ghat Union
No. 3 in Mahalchari Upazila, and they were engaged in carrying bricks from the
road to the camp.
A
sense of shame made the girls keep the incident a secret until they picked up
courage and told it to their parents.
After
the incident transpired, Mahalchari zone commander Lt. Col. Shahidul Islam (Bir
– 8) visited Ultachari camp today at 12 noon, taking Mahalchari Upazila Nirbahi
Officer Md. Shahed, Mahalchari Upazila chairman Sona Ratan Chakma and Lady Vice
Chairman Kakali Khisha along with him.
The
commander heard the statements of the three victims and their teachers at the
camp and commented that the allegation against the soldiers was baseless.
The
Ultachari camp was first set up near Sarnath Aranyo Kuthir in Karalyachari in
2008 to facilitate land grabbing by illegal Bengali settlers. Hundred of acres
of land belonging to the Jumma people were taken away at that time.
On
12 October, the camp was shifted four kilometers to the north to Ultachari, and
it is now under construction.
Major
Azam and Lt. Moshiur are in charge of the camp.
The
Hill Students Council and Democratic Youth Forum staged a demonstration in
protest against the incident and demanded that the culprits be awarded
exemplary punishment. They also demanded the removal of the camp from there.
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