Deadly Crackdown on Ethnic Minorities: 3 Killed During Protests Over Rape in Bangladesh's Khagrachhari

At least three individuals from ethnic minority communities were fatally shot by security forces during protests in Bangladesh's Khagrachhari district following the alleged gangrape of a girl from an ethnic minority group.

The demonstrations escalated significantly on Sunday, resulting in traffic suspensions across multiple roads and the deployment of additional security forces in Khagrachari. The Bangladesh Army was also mobilized to the affected region.

In an official statement addressing the violence that occurred on September 27 and 28, the Bangladesh Army reported that during a roadblock, protesters allegedly attacked patrolling soldiers with stones and bricks, leaving three military personnel injured. The army emphasized that despite this provocation, they maintained restraint, patience, and humanity, avoiding the use of force.

The unrest began on the evening of September 23, following the rape of a schoolgirl belonging to the minority Marma community in Khagrachhari, leading to continuous days of turbulence in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Demonstrators from the Marma and Mog communities further claimed that homes of indigenous people in the area had been set ablaze.

Alik Mree, a leader of the recently established National Citizen Party (NCP), submitted his resignation, stating he was unwilling to remain with an organization that remained silent regarding these protests.

The Bangladesh Army has called upon political organizations and ethnic communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts to exercise restraint and cooperate with law enforcement and military personnel to restore peace and stability. The army suggested that "various incidents were deliberately manipulated to create communal unrest and instability in the region, which appears to be part of a larger conspiracy."

Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, founder of the Tripura royal Tipra Motha party, expressed his concern, stating: "The recent attacks on our indigenous brothers and sisters in Khagrachari and other parts of Bangladesh is deeply concerning. Me and my party have always spoken for the rights of the minorities in India and we hope that the government of Bangladesh will follow the same policy for minorities in Bangladesh. I also request the government of India to revisit its policy and monitor the developments in a country that borders Tripura."