Khagrachhari, Bangladesh – Sept. 29, 2025 — The Chittagong Hill Tracts were on edge Monday as Khagrachhari district reeled from a weekend of violence that left three indigenous protesters dead, dozens wounded, and an entire market of Marma-owned shops reduced to ashes.
What began as protests over the alleged gang-rape of a 12-year-old Marma girl has spiraled into deadly confrontations, arson, and a security lockdown that underscores the fragile peace of Bangladesh’s hill region.
Section 144 and Blockade
Authorities imposed an indefinite ban on public gatherings under Section 144 and deployed army reinforcements across Khagrachhari, Guimara, and Sadar upazilas. Seven platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh were added to local police and troops, as checkpoints and night patrols blanketed the town.
The protest platform Jumma Chhatra Janata (Jumma Students’ Public) has enforced a sweeping road blockade since Saturday, paralyzing transport. On Monday, leaders announced a partial easing on two national highways to allow medical transfers and funeral processions, but local roads remain barricaded. “We will not withdraw until justice is served,” a student organizer declared in a social media statement.
District Commissioner A.B.M. Iftekharul Islam Khandakar tried to reassure the public: “The situation is under control. We are engaging with all sides to avoid further flare-ups.”
Shootings in Guimara
The worst violence unfolded Sunday at Ramesu Bazar in Guimara. According to hill community witnesses, protesters were staging a sit-in when security forces demanded they disperse. An argument escalated into chaos, followed by gunfire. By day’s end, three indigenous demonstrators lay dead.
Police confirmed the fatalities but offered no clarity on responsibility. “We have confirmed three deaths by gunfire, but details of who opened fire are still unclear,” said Chattogram Range DIG Ahsan Habib Palash. Autopsies are pending.
The toll extended to security personnel: 13 soldiers, including a major, and three policemen were injured. “The situation turned chaotic so fast – it’s hard to say who shot first,” admitted one police officer privately. Protest leaders allege many unarmed demonstrators were beaten or shot while fleeing.
Ramesu Bazar in Flames
As the shooting ended, masked men stormed Ramesu Bazar, torching the indigenous marketplace. Witnesses estimate 100 shops, houses, and vehicles belonging mostly to Marma families were destroyed.
“They burned everything. This wasn’t random – they knew those were Marma shops,” said Sanaw Marma, a student who returned to find his family’s business reduced to charred ruins.
Union Parishad chairman Mongshwe Chowdhury, himself Marma, confirmed his own home was set ablaze. “This was a targeted attack,” he said.
Indigenous residents accuse Bengali settler mobs of orchestrating the destruction, while military officials claim armed extremists staged the arson to inflame tensions. Firefighters arrived too late to save the market. Families fled into nearby jungles, carrying only what they could.
Conflicting Narratives
The killings have deepened mistrust between the Jumma community and security forces. Protesters insist troops fired without provocation: “We were simply sitting and chanting for justice when they suddenly started shooting,” said youth leader Mongsazai Marma.
The army paints a different picture. In a statement, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) blamed the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF), alleging its militants fired 100–150 rounds from a nearby hill, wounding civilians and soldiers. “This was a coordinated plot to destabilize the hills,” the statement read.
Authorities have not arrested any alleged gunmen or arsonists, and police admit the investigation is in its infancy. Superintendent Md. Arefin Jewel said forensic evidence would determine responsibility: “It’s too early to say anything definitively.”
Spark: A Child’s Assault
At the center of the unrest is the rape of a 12-year-old Marma schoolgirl on September 23 in Khagrachhari Sadar. Found unconscious in a field, she was hospitalized with injuries confirming sexual assault. Police quickly arrested a 19-year-old suspect, Shayan Shil, but two alleged accomplices remain at large.
The assault ignited fury. Student groups organized strikes, rallies, and human chains across Khagrachhari and beyond, demanding swift justice. “We are tired of repeatedly demanding the safety of our mothers and sisters,” said Aung Swe Sing Marma, secretary of the Bangladesh Marma Students’ Council.
Rights activists note at least 38 cases of rape in the Hill Tracts since 2021, with few convictions. “This escalation could have been averted if swift action was taken,” Transparency International Bangladesh said in a statement.
Wider Escalation
Saturday, Jumma Chhatra Janata launched an indefinite blockade, halting road traffic across the CHT. Counter-protests by Bengali settler groups triggered skirmishes, forcing the administration to impose Section 144. Rumors on social media—some later debunked—further inflamed tempers, including claims that a local Buddhist temple had been attacked.
By Sunday, tensions boiled over in Guimara. The aftermath has drawn nationwide solidarity rallies from indigenous and leftist groups, while Bengali settler platforms have demanded the UPDF be banned.
Official Reactions
The Home Ministry expressed “deep sorrow” for the deaths but stopped short of assigning blame. Adviser on CHT Affairs Supradip Chakma stressed zero tolerance for violence, warning armed groups would face crackdowns.
Marma organizations urged calm but accused “vested interests” of exploiting the situation. Hindu leaders appealed for peace during Durga Puja, with temple committees worried that unrest could spill over into communal attacks.
Human rights groups demanded a judicial inquiry into the shootings and arson. Political parties offered muted responses, though leftist factions condemned “state negligence,” and Hefazat-e-Islam praised the army’s role.
A Recurring Pattern
Observers note the cycle of rape, protest, clashes, and communal attacks has plagued the CHT for decades. The 1997 Peace Accord ended insurgency but left many grievances unresolved. Armed groups such as UPDF continue to operate, while indigenous activists accuse Bengali settlers of land-grabs and provocations.
Last year, communal violence in Khagrachhari and Rangamati killed four. “Rape, protest, clash, arson – it’s a tragically familiar cycle in the hills,” said one rights worker.
Demands and Next Steps
Jumma Chhatra Janata has listed demands: arrests of all rape suspects, compensation for victims, free treatment for the injured, rehabilitation for families who lost homes and shops, withdrawal of Section 144, and an impartial probe into the killings.
The government has yet to commit to these demands, though some officials hinted at compensation for the rape survivor’s family. Independent forensic analysis of bullets and wounds may prove decisive in determining responsibility.
For now, Khagrachhari remains under curfew-like restrictions. Residents mourn their dead, survey the ashes of their livelihoods, and wait for justice. As Durga Puja unfolds, the risk of further communal violence looms large. The hills, once again, are caught in a storm of grief, fear, and uncertainty.
