Hill Voice, 27 May 2023, Rangamati: It has been alleged that a speech-impaired Tanchangya girl (17) was raped by an outsider Rohingya Muslim named Md Hasan (48) in No.3 Farua Union of Bilaichhari Upazila under Rangamati District.

According to family sources, on May 25, 2023, around 11 am, Rohingya Muslim Md Hasan found this girl alone and tied her hands and feet and raped her in a Jum house in Tangquitang Para village of No.8 Ward of Farua Union.

Today, May 27, 2023 Hill Women’s Federation (HWF) and Parbatya Chattagram Pahari Chatra Parishad (PCP) strongly condemned and protested the incident through a press release and demanded exemplary punishment by bringing the identified rapist Md Hasan under the law.

It is mentioned in the press release sent in a press message signed by Central Information and Publicity Secretary of PCP, Antar Chakma that “On the day of the incident, the family members went to work in jum as usual. With this opportunity, Rohingya Muslim Md Hasan (48) found Jumma girl alone at house and tied her hands and raped her at approximately 11:00 am. After the family members returned home and came to know about the incident, they informed the local headman and the Bazaar committee. Later, in the face of the demands of the family and local people, law enforcement forces were compelled to arrest the rapist Md Hasan from Tangquitang village.”

It is also said, “In Chittagong Hill Tracts, cases of rape, abduction and torture of women are regularly committed by the settlers, but the criminals remain unpunished due to the lack of fair and speedy prosecution of those cases. Due to the indifference of the administration, criminals are getting away time and again. As a result, such unfortunate incidents are happening constantly. Jumma women are not safe even in their own homes. Not only this, law enforcement agencies are not taking necessary action against criminals.”

It is reported that Bilaichari police brought the accused rapist Md Hasan to Bilaichhari police station today. On the other hand, the rape victim has also been kept in police custody at Bilaichari police station.

According to local sources, 4/5 outsider Rohingya Muslim families have been living illegally in Farua Bazar area under the shelter of Farua Army sub-zone for several years. The army forcibly occupied Jummas’ lands in Egujjechari Segun Bagan area next to Farua Bazaar and settled the said Rohingya families there. Md Hasan, accused of rape, is currently living there.

It is also alleged that the army of Farua sub zone hvae used this Md Hasan for various purposes including espionage at various times.