Road blockade on in Rangamati

19 November 2009, 17:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Rangamati

Indigenous women of Ghilachhari Union under Naniarchar upazila continued Rangamati-Khagrachhari road blockade programme for the third day yesterday. They enforced the indefinite road blockade on Tuesday demanding arrest and punishment of a security man who allegedly made an attempt to rape an indigenous woman at Krinshnamachhara of the upazila on November 8. At least 13 people were injured in clashes between indigenous women and settlers centring the road blockade in the last three days. Of them, eight were injured yesterday while the rest on Tuesday. The settlers also enforced a three-day road blockade in Naniarchar from yesterday noon protesting attack on them allegedly by indigenous women. Locals said the clashes ensued when the settlers from Bogachhari and Islampur tried to foil the blockade, leaving 13 people from both sides injured. Five seriously injured indigenous women are now undergoing treatment at Rangamati General Hospital. They are Jhinuk Chakma, 22, Maya Chakma, 16, Binota Chakma, 45, Manti Chakma, 16, and Chandra Lekha Chakma, 35. Eight injured settlers were given first aid at Nanichar Upazila Health Complex. On November 9, indigenous women of Ghilachhari Union called a day-long road blockade protesting the incident. But they withdrew the programme after the district administration assured them of proper investigation into the matter. On the day, a five-member inquiry committee headed by Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Md Nurul Alam Chowdhury was formed. Though the committee was asked to submit report within three days, it could not do the job within the timeframe. “We have started agitation demanding proper investigation into Krinshnamachhara incident and punishment to the person involved,” said one of the protesters. District administration sources said Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Md Nurul Alam Chowdhury will sit with settlers and indigenous women at his office today for peaceful solution to the incident.