Students in Khagrachari staged a protest and rally on Tuesday, May 6, condemning the horrific rape and murder of a Kheyang woman in Bandarban’s remote Tindu Union, Thanchi Upazila.
The demonstration began at the Khagrachari Government High School grounds and proceeded through Court Road to Shapla Chattar, where students held a rally demanding justice.
Kabita Chakma, a second-year honors student at Khagrachari Government College, said, “A Kheyang woman—mother of three, including an 18-month-old baby—was raped and murdered.
Just a month ago, we protested in Kaukhali after a Marma girl was raped. Now we’re here again, raising our voices for the Kheyang woman.”
“Rape cases are on the rise across the country. We don’t feel safe anywhere. When will this violence against indigenous women end?” she added. “The woman had gone out to tend her jujube crops. After being raped, she was brutally killed—her head crushed and her eyes gouged out,” Chakma said, citing a report from bdnews24.com.
The victim, aged 29, was found dead on Monday afternoon in a forested area of Ward No. 8 in Tindu Union. She lived in a nearby village.
Local residents said her body bore visible injuries, including signs of extreme violence. Based on the condition of the body, they believe she was raped before being murdered.
Another student protester, Ukyunu Marma, voiced outrage: “Just on April 18, a Marma girl was raped. Now, within a month, another indigenous woman has been brutally killed. Why is there silence? The perpetrators must be swiftly identified and given exemplary punishment.”
