On 26 February 2014 the Pahari Chhatra Porishad (PCP) in English: Chittagong Hill Tracts Hill Students’ Council and Hill Women’s Federation (HWF) jointly organized a procession at Oporajeyo Bangla of Dhaka University, in protestation against communal attack inflicted upon Jumma people by the Muslim Bengali settlers during the cremation ceremony of Sabita Chakma in Kamalchari under Khagrachari district, and protestation against raping of a Tirupra indigenous girl in Matiranga upazila of Khagrachari district.
The protestation rally was chaired by Juwel Chakma, President of Dhaka Metropolitan unit of PCP, while moderated by Subhakar Chakma, member of Dhaka Metropolitan unit of PCP. The Welcome Speech was contributed by Nipon Tripura, member of Dhaka Metropolitan unit of PCP. In addition, Chandra Tripura, Organizing Secretary of Dhaka Metropolitan branch of HWF; Marine Chakma, member of PCP Central Committee; Ananta Bikash Dhamai, General Secretary of Bangladesh Adivasi Chhatra Sangram Parishad and Jens Tripura, General Secretary of Tripura Students’ Forum spoke at the rally. The rally was followed by presentation of protestation-songs rendered by the artist team led by Chandra Tripura of Bangladesh Adivasi Cultural Forum.
The speakers pointed out that incidents of human rights violations have been taking place one after another in the CHT, because of non-implementation of the CHT Accord. Sabita Chakma (38), Kamalchari Chengichar of Kamalchari union under Khagrachari upazila was gang raped and killed by Bengali settlers on 15 February 2014, at around 12.00 noon; and the Bengali setters of Buyochari Settlers village located in the same union attacked upon the Jumma people during the cremation of Sabita Chakma. In that incident, two Jumma villagers namely Panekka Chakma alias Pandukke (32), son of late Binay Kumar Chakma, and Ananda Lal Chakma (45), son of late Surja Mohan Chakma were seriously wounded as the settlers attacked on them repeatedly with sharpened machetes and heavy sticks. With serious injuries in head and other parts of his body, Panekka Chakma was admitted to Khagrachari Sadar Hospital.
Over the period between 2007 and 2013, more than 175 incidents of human rights violation were committed upon Jumma women, and that trend of human right violation continues for not bringing the culprits to trial. Another young Jumma girl, studying in class nine, in Ramshira area under Matiranga upazila of Khagrachari district, was raped on 25 February 2014, at around 2.30 pm, by two Bengali settlers, namely, Tarumia (20), son of Lal Mia, village- Ramshira and Khalek Mia (20), son of Abdur Rahim of Mastar Para village.
However, the protestation rally began at Oporajeyo Bangla, and marching around the Dhaka University campus and Raju Statue –TSC, ended at Arts Faculty of the University. The rally raised the following demands:
(1) To conduct judicial probe to Sabita Chakma’s murder case and take immediate legal action against the perpetrators involved in the crime;
(2) To identify the instigators of the communal attack inflicted upon the Jumma people by Bengali settlers, and bring them under trial;
(3) To ensure justice for the victim of indigenous girl studying in class nine set up an exemplary punishment by bringing the culprits under trial;
(4) To settle rapidly every case of sexual violence perpetrated upon the indigenous women in Chittagong Hill Tracts;
(5) To transfer Police (local) subject to the Hill District Councils in compliance with the provision of the CHT Accord, to ensure security for the Jumma women; and
(6) To implement the CHT Accord without delay any further.