Kaukhali
Correspondent, CHT News
Sunday,
August 31, 2025
The
Student-People's Movement Council and local residents held a demonstration in
Kaukhali in protest against the ongoing military repression under the guise of
operations in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and demanding the withdrawal of the
military rule termed “Operation Uttoron,”.
The
protesters strongly condemned the military's occupation of school buildings to
set up “temporary camps,” indiscriminate house raids, mistreatment of women,
looting, arbitrary arrests and harassment, disruption of school activities, and
the resulting severe public suffering.
Today,
Sunday (August 31, 2025), at 1:30 PM, the protest began with a procession from
Noa Para in Kaukhali Upazila, which passed through the Chelachara residential
area before returning to Noa Para for a rally. Over 700 students and locals
from various areas participated spontaneously.
The rally
was presided over by Dharoni Chakma, a central member of the Student-People's
Movement Council, and moderated by Ajay Marma, a 12th-grade student at Kaukhali
Government Degree College. Speakers included Suihla Mong Marma, a recent SSC
graduate from Poa Para Government Model High School; Chingsanu Marma, a local
elder; and solidarity speeches were delivered by Eka Chakma, General Secretary
of Hill Women’s Federation (Kaukhali Unit); Dipayan Chakma, Organizational
Secretary of the Hill Student Council Rangamati District; and Mizuk Chakma,
Organizer of the UPDF Kaukhali Unit.
Speakers
condemned the harassment, looting, and house raids carried out in the name of
military operations in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, stating:
“Even though
a somewhat democratic environment has returned to the country after the fall of
the fascist Hasina regime, the Chittagong Hill Tracts remain under oppressive
military rule. Since Dr. Yunus’s interim government granted magisterial powers
to the military, the scale of operations has increased drastically.”
They added:
“We, too,
have the right to live in peace. But the military is violating this right. They
break into our homes without permission, seize money and documents, —
completely ransack our belongings.”
They
emphasized that due to these military operations, normal life has become
extremely difficult.
“People no
longer feel safe at home, in their fields, shops, or markets. Every day is
lived in fear. Parents are afraid to send their children to school, because the
military occupies classrooms to set up camps, disrupting education. Women are
constantly in fear, as military operations are still accompanied by incidents
of sexual harassment and abuse, just like in the past.”
The speakers
accused the military of fabricating arms recovery stories to justify the arrest
of innocent people.
“Officers
are torturing civilians to boost their promotion metrics. They claim to be
looking for terrorists, but in truth, they protect and use the real terrorists
to carry out killings, abductions, and extortion. They conduct raids in
villages targeting members of UPDF—a democratic political party—instilling fear
among the public.”
The speakers
declared that:
“People will
no longer tolerate this harassment, repression, and arbitrary searches.
Students and the general public are ready to unite and resist these
injustices.”
They issued
five demands:
1. Immediately stop raids, looting,
harassment, and illegal arrests during military operations.
2. Return the money and documents that were
looted.
3. Arrest the real terrorists and stop
providing them protection.
4. Withdraw the military from the Chittagong
Hill Tracts.
5. Ensure democracy in the Hill Tracts as in
the rest of the country.
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