Two reportedly abducted leaders of Hill Women’s Federation (HWF), an affiliated body of United Peoples Democratic Front (UPDF), have been released after one month.
HWF General Secretary Monty Chakma and the organization’s Rangamati district unit General Secretary Doyasona Chakma were allegedly abducted in broad daylight by a group of masked men from Kutukchhari in Rangamati on March 18.
Both were freed to their family members and local public representatives in APBn Gate area at Khagrachhari’s Modhupur around 7:45pm on Thursday, confirmed UPDF leader Michael Chakma.
Apart from Michael, Monty’s brother Subhash Chakma, UPDF spokesperson Niron Chakma and Khagrachhari Sadar police also confirmed the release of the two women leaders.
But all declined giving further details.
Subhash and Niron, however, also confirmed that Monty and Doyasona had started for their homes with their parents right away.
“We will brief the media tomorrow (Friday) morning,” Subhash added.
After they were abducted on March 18, UPDF and HWF had blamed UPDF Ganatantrik, a breakaway faction, for the incident. The newly formed group denied the allegations.
Later that day, HWF leaders and activists had protested their abduction by shutting down the Khagrachhari-Rangamati Road for several hours. Since then they have been demonstrating demanding their release.
Three days later, Doyasona’s father Brishadhan Chakma had started a case with Rangamati Kotwali police accusing 19 people, including UPDF-Ganatantrik President Tapan Jyoti Chakma and Shaktiman Chakma, a vice-president of Parbatya Chattagram Janasnghati Samiti (MN-Larma), over the abduction.Sections of this article were first published on banglatribune.com
Thursday, March 27, 2025
