Sabita Chakma's Killing

Int'l CHT commission demands justice

Courtesy: The Daily Star, Dhaka | February 19, 2014 | Link: http://www.thedailystar.net/city/intl-cht-commission-demands-justice-12032

The International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission yesterday condemned the killing of indigenous woman Sabita Chakma and demanded justice in this regard.

Expressing grave concern over what it termed "continued impunity in the cases of violence against indigenous women in CHT," it pressed for immediate measures to stop such violation of human rights.

On February 15, Sabita, 30, was allegedly murdered after rape at Chengi Char in Khagrachhari Sadar upazila. Sabita was attacked near the Chengi river while she was mowing grasses for cattle in the morning. Later, her husband and villagers found her disrobed body at 5:30pm there.

The victim's husband, Debaratan Chakma, filed a case with Khagrachhari Police Station against one truck driver Mohammad Nizam and four others in this connection.

In a statement issued by the commission's co-chairs Eric Avebury, Sultana Kamal and Elsa Stamatopoulou, they said Sabita's case is not an isolated incident in the post-CHT peace accord.

“Such incidents, including sexual harassment, intimidation, rape and murder against indigenous women occur with frightening regularity in the CHT,” it said, adding that the state has failed to prevent attacks against indigenous women.