Hill Voice, 30 September 2025, Special Correspondent: The Asia Young Indigenous Peoples Network (AYIPN) has expressed deep outrage over the communal attacks that have taken place in Khagrachhari Hill District of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh, since 23 September, and issued a statement demanding justice for the victims of rape and the killing of three indigenous persons.
The statement said that the reported gang rape of a 12-year-old Marma schoolgirl by Bengali settlers once again reflects the ongoing sexual violence against indigenous peoples in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the prevailing culture of impunity, and the systematic marginalization of indigenous communities.
The statement further added that these recurring incidents of violence cannot be separated from the long-standing oppression of indigenous peoples in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The militarization of the region has created fear and insecurity among indigenous communities and has been encouraging the perpetrators of such violence.
The government’s continued failure to fully implement the 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord has weakened the indigenous peoples and left them without adequate political, legal, and land rights protections.
AYIPN strongly emphasized, We call upon the Government of Bangladesh to immediately implement the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord, demilitarize the region, ensure a permanent solution to the CHT crisis, and guarantee peace and justice for the indigenous peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
The statement, reminding the Government of Bangladesh of its obligations under international human rights law, referred to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). These international standards require states to take strong measures to protect indigenous peoples, women, and children from violence, ensure accountability of perpetrators, and uphold the rights to security, dignity, and justice.
AYIPN made the following calls:
1. A free, fair, and impartial investigation into the gang rape case and all acts of violence and destruction committed in Khagrachari, with perpetrators held fully accountable under the law.
2. Immediate justice for the survivor of the sexual violence and protection for her family from intimidation and retaliation.
3. Accountability for the killings and violence in Guimara, ensuring that those responsible for firing live ammunition on protesters and enabling Bengali settler attacks face due legal consequences.
3. Humanitarian assistance and rehabilitation for the Indigenous families who have lost lives, homes, and livelihoods in this violence.
