Santu Larma of PCJSS accuse ruling class in CHT of torturing tribal women , call for peaceful protest
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, October 17, 2025
The supreme leader of Parbatttya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samity (PCJSS) and former chairman of hill district council Jyotindra Bodhipriya alias Santu Larma has accused the ruling class in Bangladesh of having let loose a repressive campaign against the tribal womenfolk in the Chittagong hill-tracts, home of ten tribal communities including the majority Chakmas. He was speaking in the 13th central conference of Parbattya Chattagram Mahila Samity at Rangamati.
“The poaching of tribal women and girls by the security forces and sponsored resettlers from the plainlands is continuing unabated ; recently a tribal girl of class VIII was raped by the resettlers; these things have been continuing ever since the sponsored resettlement of plainlanders commenced under the rule of late president H.M. Ershad in 1985 this has been continuing ever since with the evil purpose of reducing the tribals to minority in their original homeland so that the demand for political autonomy can not be raised” said Santu Larma. He specially deplored the failure of the successive governments of Bangladesh to maintain law and order and provide basic security to the indigenous tribal people.
He spoke eloquently of the achievements of tribal girls women in different spheres of activities including education . “Our tribal girls are performing exceedingly well in sports and representing the country at the international level and I specially take the name of woman footballer Rituparna Chakma ; we must also remember the Mog tribal girl who won a gold medal in the recently concluded mathematics Olympiad held in Qatar ; similarly our women must always be up and doing and keep on trying to shine in all spheres of human activities” said Santu.
He also called upon the women leaders and activists to prepare for taking greater part in the tribal peoples legitimate struggle for self-determination , asserting that unity, clarity of goals and dedication on the part of the tribals will lead to emancipation of the people from misrule and persecution. The conference was also attended as special guest by the vice president of PCJSS Ushadhan Talukder who said that the very existence of tribal people in their homeland CHT is now in jeopardy. He also called upon the women delegates present in the conference to work hand in hand with their male counterparts for the emancipation of the entire tribal community.
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