CHT NEWS
Lakshmichhari Correspondent, CHT News
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
The Lakshmichari branch of the Chatra-Janater Songram
Parishad (Students-People’s Movement Council) held a demonstration in protest
against the harassment, looting, and disruption of daily life during a military
operation in Hudukchari village of Baromachhari Union, Lakshmichari Upazila,
Khagrachhari.
The protest was held at 11:30 AM today (Tuesday,
August 19, 2025) in the Hudukchari market area. It was presided over by
Lakshmichari Upazila’s female Vice-Chairperson Shiuli Marma. Other speakers
included Nixon Chakma (representative of the Student-People’s Movement
Council), student leader Kunentu Chakma, youth leader Camron Dewan, and local
representative Uthan Marma.
The speakers expressed outrage, stating that in the
early hours of yesterday (August 18), from 2:00 AM to 5:30 AM, military
personnel entered Hudukchari village like terrorists and conducted unlawful
searches in at least five homes without any permission. They harassed the
general public and ransacked homes, looted money, and took away important
documents.
They further claimed that since the mass uprising on
July 24 (last year), incidents of repression, harassment, and arbitrary arrests
under the guise of military operations have increased in the Chittagong Hill
Tracts. As a result, ordinary people are now living in fear and insecurity.
In her speech, Shiuli Marma said, “The military
operations are severely disrupting the normal lives of local people. Residents
are unable to go to their fields or workplaces. Children cannot attend school
properly because, during operations, soldiers occupy school buildings. Women in
households live in constant fear.”
She mentioned that in the past, during operations and
patrols, there have been many incidents of abduction, rape, and sexual
harassment of women.
She added that under the pretense of operations, the
military is harassing ordinary people and looting their property. The people of
the area want to live in peace, but the army is taking away even that basic
right.
She also alleged that the military protects the real
criminals, gives them shelter and support, and enables them to commit killings,
abductions, and extortion, while repressing innocent villagers.
Five demands were made from the gathering. These
include:
1.Immediately
stop harassment, looting, and illegal arrests under the guise of operations.
2. Return
the money and documents that were looted.
3. Arrest
the real terrorists and stop protecting them.
4. Withdraw
military forces from the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
5. Ensure
democracy in the Hill Tracts, just like in the plains.
A woman from one of the households targeted during the
raids shared her experience at the gathering. She said, “Yesterday at dawn, I
went to the toilet. Hearing noises, I came out and saw soldiers arriving. They
pointed a gun at me and said, ‘Where are the terrorists? Show us.’ When I said
I didn’t know, they threatened, ‘If you don’t show us the terrorists, we’ll
either kill you or send you to jail.’ They pointed a gun at me and didn’t let
me enter my house. They also threatened my children, forcing them at gunpoint
to tell the truth or be killed. The soldiers searched for weapons and turned
the house upside down. They even broke our chicken coop, injuring many of our
chickens.”
She demanded justice for the harassment and
repression.
After the rally, a protest march was held pledging
resistance against injustice and oppression. The march paraded the Kudukchhari
market area.
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