Arakan Students’ Union accuses Bangladesh govt complicity in Chittagong Hill Tracts violence

By Admin 30 Sep 2025

DMG Newsroom

30 September 2025, Mrauk-U
 
The Arakan Students’ Union issued a statement on September 29 accusing Bangladesh’s interim government leader, Mohammad Yunus, of turning a blind eye to the violence being faced by indigenous people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.
 
The Bangladeshi military and the Bengali community have been brutally cracking down on demands for justice over the rape of an indigenous eighth grade schoolgirl in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, resulting in casualties and injuries.
 
The Arakan Students’ Union condemned the Bangladesh military’s suppression and violence against indigenous peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts demanding justice.
 
“The tribals living in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh are facing various forms of oppression from the Muslim infiltration from different parts of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government needs to take swift and impartial action against the perpetrators, those who violently dispersed peaceful protests, and those involved in this case,” said a Bangladeshi observer.
 
In its statement, the Arakan Students’ Union said the Bangladesh government’s violent response to the students and people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts violates the rights of the child, human rights, and the International Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
 
The statement called on the Bangladesh military to implement a peace agreement politically and respect the rights of indigenous peoples in accordance with the International Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; withdraw the Bangladesh military from the Chittagong Hill Tracts; respect the dignity and rights of the hill people; and promote self-determination.
 
“There have been many cases of rape in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the past. We welcome the statement of the Arakan Students’ Union to prevent such incidents from happening again. We hope that if the students’ demands are implemented, peace will prevail in the Chittagong Hill Tracts,” said an Arakanese resident living in Bangladesh.
 
The Arakan Students’ Union said it will continue to stand with students from the Chittagong Hill Tracts to seek justice for the girl who was raped.
 
The Arakan Students’ Union has also called for international action against Bangladeshi military officers who are violently suppressing indigenous peoples peacefully protesting for justice.