BSU demands arrest of those responsible for Khyang woman's rape-murder

The Bangladesh Students’ Union strongly condemned the gang rape and murder of a Khyang woman in Bandarban's Thanchi, and demanded the immediate arrest of those involved.

In a statement on Tuesday (May 6), Bangladesh Students’ Union President Tamzid Haider Chanchol and General Secretary Shimul Kumbhkar said that indigenous women in the Chittagong Hill Tracts continue to face regular incidents of oppression, sexual violence, rape, murder, and other human rights violations. They noted that while settlers are responsible for many of these atrocities, military dominance in the region is also endangering the lives of local communities. The statement described these incidents as part of a broader pattern of structural violence, with the settlers’ presence threatening the indigenous peoples’ traditional lifestyles and safety.

In protest of the rape and murder of the Khyang woman, they further stated that media propaganda, corporate exploitation, and direct support from the government and military are part of a deliberate effort to undermine the indigenous people's right to self-determination.

In the statement, signed by Organizing Secretary Aminul Islam Iman, the leaders of the Students’ Union also called for unity in the fight for justice and the protection of the rights of all ethnic communities.