Rangamati, Oct 20 (V7N) – The Parbatya Chattogram Chhatra Parishad (PCCP) organized a protest rally on Monday afternoon in front of the Central Shaheed Minar in Rangamati, demanding justice for the gang rape of a disabled Marma woman in Kaptai. The demonstrators also condemned local traditional leaders for allegedly attempting to conceal the incident under the guise of a customary tribal judgment.

The protest, presided over by PCCP Rangamati District President Tajul Islam Taj and conducted by Organizing Secretary Parvez Mosharraf Hossain, was addressed by PCCP District General Secretary Md. Alomgir Hossain, 35 Kathuria Smriti Sangsad Convener Shakhawat Hossain, PCCP District Organizing Secretary Md. Humayun Kabir, and other local leaders.

Speakers at the rally alleged that in Chitmaram Union’s Chongrachhari area of Kaptai upazila, three men from the same ethnic group raped a disabled Marma woman, who is now five months pregnant as a result of repeated sexual assaults. The accused were identified as Onuching Marma (50), Kala Marma (55), and Mongu Marma (35). Despite the severity of the crime, no legal action has been taken against them.

According to local sources, on October 17, a so-called “social judgment” was held following traditional practices in which the accused were fined a total of Tk 3 lakh as compensation to the victim, and an additional Tk 30 thousands for the community to purchase a sacrificial pig. Shockingly, the victim herself was also fined Tk 5,000 for allegedly “violating community norms.” Protesters denounced this decision, calling it a gross miscarriage of justice.

PCCP leaders claimed that the victim’s family has been unable to seek legal recourse due to threats from armed groups allegedly linked to the regional political organization Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS), which controls the area. They further alleged that local armed militants have obstructed efforts to rescue the victim.

“This so-called traditional verdict is nothing but a travesty of justice that promotes impunity for sexual violence in the hills,” one PCCP speaker stated, describing the incident as a chilling example of gender-based violence being justified under customary laws.

Leaders also criticized the silence of prominent hill-based political organizations such as the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF), JSS, and the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), as well as civil society figures like Chakma Queen Yan Yan and Michael Chakma. “When the accused are from their own communities, they remain silent. But when a Bengali is accused, these same groups immediately protest, creating communal tension,” one protester said.

Speakers concluded that this selective silence exposes a deeper crisis of human rights and justice in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, where political influence and fear often overshadow accountability.

END/AMR/SMA/