Three recent cases of rape and attempted rape have been filed in Rangamati, Khagrachari, and Bandarban hill districts of Bangladesh.
– A 50-year-old Chakma woman was raped by two Bengali men during the flood in Ramgarh upazila of Khagrachari on August 22.
– An eight-year-old girl was the victim of an attempted rape by a Bengali settler in Rangamati town on Friday.
– A 45-year-old Tanchaggya woman was the victim of an attempted rape by a Bengali man in Naikhongchhari upazila of Bandarban on Friday night.
– The accused in all cases are Bengali men, and the victims are from ethnic minority communities.
– Rights activists say the culture of impunity worsens violence against national minority women and girls in the Chattogram Hill Tracts.
– Ethnic minority women are vulnerable due to various reasons, and their vulnerability increases during natural disasters.
– Four incidents of sexual violence against ethnic women and girls by Bengali men were reported in the CHT between January and June 2024.
– In 2023, 12 women and children from ethnic communities were raped, seven were victims of attempted rape, and two-faced abduction and trafficking attempts.
– There is a need for a change in public mindset and perception about women from minority communities.
– Registering cases and ensuring timely justice is crucial, as well as awareness and education programs to prevent such incidents.
– Organizations like Parbatya Chattogram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) work for the rights of ethnic minorities in the CHT, and human rights organizations and support groups provide aid to victims of sexual violence.
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