‘আদিবাসী নারীদের উপর সংঘটিত অপরাধ থেকে রক্ষা ও দায়ীদের বিচার নিশ্চিত করতে রাষ্ট্র ব্যর্থ হযেছে’- সিএইচটি কমিশন

Press Statement
The International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission condemns killing of indigenous
woman; calls upon the Government to ensure justice and effectively challenge
continued impunity by providing exemplary punishment to the perpetrators
Dhaka: February 18, 2014. The International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission
(CHTC) condemned killing of an indigenous woman in Khagrachari on February 15. The
Commission called upon the Government to afford justice to the victim and her family
by ensuring exemplary punishment to those guilty. Expressing grave concern over
continued impunity in cases of violence against indigenous women in CHT, the
Commission called upon the Government to undertake immediate and effective
measures to stop such violation of basic rights of the indigenous people including
right to life.
On February 15, 2014, a 30-year-old indigenous woman Sabita Chakma was allegedly raped
and murdered by a group of settlers at Chengi Char area of Kamalchari Union under
Khagrachari Sadar Upazila of Khagrachari district in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). Sabita was
attacked when she went to the nearby Chengi River to collect fodder for cattle in the morning.
When she had not returned by lunch time her husband along with some villagers went to look
for her and found her disrobed dead body at 17:30 in a field near Chengi Char. It is suspected
that day-labourers who were collecting sand onto a truck near the field where her body was
found may have killed Sabita Chakma. Sabita’s husband, Debaratan Chakma, filed a case at the
Khagrachari Police Station against truck driver Mohammad Nizam and four others and police
took the dead body to Khagrachari Sadar Hospital that evening for autopsy.
The CHTC condemns this attack and asserts that this is not an isolated attack on an indigenous
woman in post-Accord CHT. Violence against indigenous women, including sexual harassment,
intimidation, rape and murder sexual assault against indigenous women occur with frightening
regularity in the CHT, marred by impunity to settlers and security forces. It has been learned
that in this case, Debaratan Chakma was threatened into not filing a case. This is also not
unheard of in case of other indigenous victims of violence in the area.
The state has failed to prevent the
and also failed to bring the perpetrators to justice.
security forces in the CHT they have failed to protect indigenous people from such attacks.
fact, the military, political parties and the bureaucracy
complete impunity for such attacks and
justice mechanism in cases of attacks on indigenous people
Accord in 1997 has been in power since January 2009 but has failed to implement the
and prevent violence against indigenous people and protect the rights of the minority
communities all over the country. This attack is just
Government to stop this culture of impunity.
We hope that justice will be speedily served
perpetrators will be convicted for
On behalf of the CHT Commission
Eric Avebury Sultana Kamal
Co-chair of the Co
CHT Commission CHT Commission
d attacks against indigenous women even after the Accord
Despite having such heavy presence of
he have successfully created a state of
indigenous communities lost confidence in the formal
people. The Government which signed the
another expression of the failure of this
e for the murder of Sabita Chakma and the
such a ghastly act.
ssion
Elsa Stamatopoulou
-chair of the Co-chair of the
CHT Commission
In
vernment Accord