HWF marks 12th anniversary of disappearance of Kalpana Chakma
chtnews.com
News No. 103/2008, June 12, 2008
The Hill Women's Federation, a
front organisation of the United People's Democratic Front, staged a rally on
Over one hundred and a half members and supporters of the HWF took part in the
programme. Besides, representatives from progressive political, students and
cultural organisations also participated in it.
Before the rally, a procession was taken out on
The rally was held in front of DU Library building. Presided over by HWF
president Sonali Chakma, the rally was addressed, among others, by Faizul Hakim
Lala, General Secretary of National Liberation Council, Lovely Akter, Organiser
of Biplobi Nari Mukti, Monjurul Haq, president of Bangladesh Student and Youth
Movement, Ricoh Chakma, president of Hill Student's Council, Raju Ahmed from
Bangladesh Students Federation, Alamgir Kabir, Member Secretary of Prapad and
Mahmud Limon from Sanskritir Naya Setu.
Hill Women's Federation president Sonali Chakma criticized the caretaker
government of Dr. Fakruddin Ahmed for following in the footsteps of his
predecessor governments and said "if you cannot arrest culprits like Lt.
Ferdous, the mastermind of the kidnapping of Kalpana Chakma, and put them on
trial, then all your promise to establish rule of law in the country is a
hollow and a macabre joke."
Sonali Chakma urged the government to make the inquiry report on disappearance
of Kalapna Chakma public.
Faizul Hakim Lala said the successive governments have failed not only to
rescue Kalpana Chakma, the then Organising Secretary of the HWF, but also to
publish the inquiry report headed by Supreme Court Justice Abdul Jalil.
He said as far as Chittaong Hill Tracts is concerned there is no difference
between the present and the past governments. "Irrespective of which
government comes to power - whether it is military or civil or caretaker
government - there is no change in the policy on CHT issues. And there will be
no change unless the ruling classes which control the state structures of the
country are overthrown and a new government of the peasants, workers and the
middle class is established through a people's upsurge" he said.
"Therefore, a united and centralized struggle of all the oppressed classes
and peoples has become the urgent task of the time. The Jumma people must link
their national struggle to the larger and broader struggle of the country. They
must seek their liberation in the liberation of all the oppressed and exploited
masses of peasants and workers and middle class people in the country."
Lala said Kalpana Chakma will never die. "She will continue to inspire
hundreds of thousands of Jumma women seeking to free themselves from the
shackles of oppression and sexual violence."
The HWF also published a leaflet on the occasion. The HWF activists distributed
the copies of the leaflet during the programme.
Later in the day, a discussion was held at R. C. Majumder Arts Auditorium,
The speakers included Abul Kashem Fazlul Haq, Dr. Akmal Hossain, Dr. Meghna
Guhathakurta, Anu Muhammad, Hasibur Rahman, Manos Chowdhury, Sayeed Ferdous,
Saydia Gulrukh, Samari Chakma, Sonali Chakma and Konika Dewan.
Kalpana Chakma was abducted on 12 June 1996 from her home at New Lallyaghona
village under Baghaichari Upazilla of Rangamati district. Twelve years on, her
whereabouts still remain untraced with the inquiry report gathering dust on the
home ministry shelves, while the perpetrators including Lt. Ferdous are yet to
be brought to justice.
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