Rangamati, Sept 4 (V7N) – The "35 Kathuria Memorial Society" organized a human chain protest on Thursday afternoon in front of the BM Market in Rangamati town, demanding justice for the 1996 massacre in which 35 loggers were brutally killed. The demonstrators also called for the full rehabilitation of the victims' families.

The protest was presided over by the convenor of the organization, Md. Sakhawat Hossain, and moderated by Md. Gias Uddin. Among the participants were Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim, General Secretary of the Rangamati Hill District unit of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Citizens’ Council; Vice President Kazi Mohammad Jalua; former Organizational Secretary Md. Jahangir Alam; and Hafiz Mohammad Bakhtiar Uddin, a family member of one of the victims.

Speakers at the event expressed frustration that even after 28 years, there has been no proper investigation or legal action against those responsible for the killings. They alleged that although some perpetrators had been identified, no meaningful steps had been taken to prosecute them, calling it a dark chapter in the country’s judicial history.

The protesters stated that families of the victims continue to live in dire conditions without adequate support. They demanded immediate arrest and exemplary punishment for those involved in the massacre, full rehabilitation of the affected families, access to education for the children of the victims, and the construction of a permanent memorial to honor those killed.

The event drew the participation of family members of the deceased, civil society representatives, and local residents. Following the demonstration, the organizers submitted a memorandum to the Rangamati Deputy Commissioner, Mohammad Habib Ullah Maruf, outlining their demands.

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