chtnews.com
News No. 91/2009, August 1, 2009
The Hill Women’s Federation and Hill Student’s Council held rallies in Dighinala and Khagrachari today, Saturday, protesting against the rape of Meena Chakma by a Grameen Bank staff. (Meena Chakma’s photo attached)
In Dighinala, where the incident took place, the rally was held at Sadar Station at noon. It was addressed by Alo Jibon Chakma, General Secretary, PCP Dighinala Unit and Dipon Chakma, a member of Democratic Youth Forum.
The Khagrachari rally was held at Mukto Moncha in the town and was attended by 200 people, mostly women.
HWF leaders Konica Dewan, Rina Dewan and Juthika Chakma and PCP leader Subir Chakma addressed the rally.
The speakers condemned the rape of Meena Chakma and urged the government to bring the culprit to justice.
Ms Rina Dewan issued a 15-day ultimatum for the government to arrest Nazrul, the rapist.
The rally was preceded by a procession which took off from Upazila ground.
Meena Chakma, 20, a physically challenged person, was raped by Nazrul, a Grameen Bank staff, at her home in the village of Dighir Par in Boradom on Friday, July 31.
Hill Women’s Federation president Sonali Chakma, Hill Student’s Council president Ricoh Chakma and Democratic Youth Forum General Secretary Mithun Chakma condemned the incident and demanded immediate arrest of Nazrul.
They also demanded that the Grammen Bank stop its micro credit program in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
“The so-called micro credit program is doing much harm to the Jumma people.” Sonali Chakma said, adding it is a conspiracy to destroy the Jumma peasants by burdening them with loans and interests.
Mithun Chakma said “The Jummas lived without micro credit in the past and they will do so in the future; so they don’t need the modern Shylocks like Grameen Bank.”
