At least three people were shot dead in firing by security forces during protests in Bangladesh's Khagrachhari over the alleged gangrape of a girl belonging to an ethnic minority.
Protests intensified on Sunday leading to traffic being suspended on several roads and additional forces being deployed in Khagrachari. Additionally, the Bangladesh Army was also deployed in the region.
The Bangladesh Army has issued an official statement in response to the violence on September 27 and 28. "During a blockade, some protesters allegedly threw stones and bricks at patrolling army personnel, injuring three soldiers. Despite the provocation, the army said it responded with restraint, patience, and humanity, refraining from the use of force," according to the Bangladesh Army statement.
Protests began on the night of September 23, following the rape of a schoolgirl from the minority Marma community in Khagrachhari. Days of unrest continued in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Protesters from the Marma and Mog communities also alleged that homes of people from indigenous communities of the region were burnt down.
Alik Mree, a leader of the newly formed students' party National Citizen Party (NCP), tendered his resignation, citing his unwillingness to remain with an outfit that stayed silent on the protests.
The Bangladesh Army has urged political parties and ethnic groups in the Chittagong Hill Tracts to act with restraint and support law enforcement and the military in restoring peace and stability in the region. The Bangladesh Army said, "Various incidents were deliberately manipulated to create communal unrest and instability in the region, which appears to be part of a larger conspiracy."
Tripura royal Tipra Motha party founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma said, "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."
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