Khagrachari, Aug 28 (V7N) - In Khagrachari's Ramgarh, protesters have issued a five-day ultimatum demanding the arrest and trial of individuals involved in a recent gang rape in Patachhara and other rape incidents across the three hill districts.

On Monday at 11 AM, the Hill Students’ Council of Khagrachari, a group opposing conflict and discrimination, organized a demonstration to demand the arrest of those implicated in the gang rape and related crimes, alongside eight specific demands.

The demonstration began at Khagrachari College Gate, moved through Chenghi Square, Shapla Chattar, and other key areas of the city, and concluded with a protest at the Khagrachari District Commissioner’s Office. Thousands of students took part in the march. As the protesters surrounded the District Commissioner’s Office, local officials, including Khagrachari District Commissioner Md. Shahiduzzaman and Superintendent of Police Muktiadhar, responded promptly.

In response to the protesters’ demands, the authorities committed to facilitating the arrest of the suspects and ensuring they receive exemplary punishment within the stipulated five-day period. Following this, the protesters held a brief assembly at Chenghi Square, where speakers such as students Hitarth Chakma, Sukon Chakma, and Toshita Chakma addressed the crowd. The assembly also included demands for the arrest and appropriate punishment of those involved in separate attempted rapes in Rangamati. The event concluded with the presentation of the eight demands.

The Demands Are:

  1. Reinstatement of the 5% indigenous quota for first and second-class government jobs and all levels of employment.

  2. Constitutional recognition for indigenous communities and inclusion of their accurate history, culture, and literature in NCERT textbooks.

  3. Appoint impartial, honest, and acceptable individuals to district council positions after discussions with the coordinators of the “Anti-conflict and Discrimination Hill Students Movement,” and investigate and take legal action against the corruption of district council chairpersons and members over the past twenty years.

  4. Immediate resolution of land issues in the hill regions and maintenance of the 1900 Regulation.

  5. Creation of a democratic environment to ensure the rule of law and establishment of permanent peace in the hills, with necessary actions taken to end all district council irregularities and corruption.

  6. Increased government funding for sports to foster a corruption-free environment in sports and promote a drug-free youth community.

  7. Recruitment of qualified teachers to address the shortage in hill district educational institutions and inclusion of mother tongue proficiency checks in teacher recruitment tests to ensure education in local languages at the primary level.

    8. Cessation of using hill districts as a “punishment zone” for government or private            employees, and ensuring that local residents are appointed to positions in the hill            regions.

END/BT/SMA/