Marma girls taken to ex-UP chairman's house: cops

The two Marma sisters released from hospital on Thursday have been taken to the house of a former union parishad chairman in Rangmati.

The town became anxious about the whereabouts of the girls, one of whom was allegedly raped and the other sexually assaulted by members of security forces last month, after Rangamati Sadar Hospital handed them over to their parents in presence of police.

Several photos of the sisters, their parents, Superintendent of Police Sayeed Taruqul Hassan and Deputy Commissioner Manzarul Hannan were uploaded on a Facebook page titled SP Rangamati yesterday afternoon.

The post said the Marma girls were under the guardianship of their parents as per the High Court order since February 15.

Manzarul Hannan told The Daily Star that they visited the girls yesterday morning at the house of the former UP chairman.

The post mentioned that a good number of male and female police were deployed at the house to ensure security. 

The Facebook post was removed hours later.

Citizens of Rangamati yesterday, meanwhile, expressed deep concern over an alleged attack on female volunteers and queen of Chakma circle Yan Yan by members of law enforcement agencies and security forces on Thursday at Rangamati Sadar Hospital.

In a press conference at Rangamati Press Club, they demanded that a probe committee with the power to conduct an independent and neutral investigation into the alleged assault be formed.

They also demanded that the persons who were involved in the incident be identified and brought to book.

Before taking the sisters forcibly from the hospital on Thursday evening, six masked men and 10 women with their faces covered in scarves came to the Rangamati hospital. They beat up volunteers including Yan Yan. One of the volunteers was sexually harassed by them, according to the statement handed out at the press conference.

The press conference was organised by Parbatya Chattagram Nagarik committee, Himawanti, Women's Resource Network, Parbatya Chattagram Headman Network, Parbatya Chattagram Karbari Network and Bangladesh Mahila Parishad.

The Marma sisters -- aged 18 and 13 -- were admitted to the hospital on January 22. Earlier in the day, the elder one was allegedly raped while the other sexually assaulted during a drive by a team of security forces in their village, in Farua union in Bilaicchari, Rangamati.

Following a writ petition, a High Court bench on February 13 ordered the authorities concerned of the government and Rangamati Sadar Hospital to hand over the girls to their father. The petition was filed by the girls' father.

Meanwhile with a court order, several policemen accompanied by the parents of two sisters, went to the hospital on Thursday afternoon and asked the girls leave the hospital with them. The sisters, however, refused to go with them, as they feared for their safety, according to witnesses.

At one stage, the girls had an altercation with their parents and the police, who kept on insisting that the court order had to be followed. The altercation at the women and children's ward lasted for a long time until the girls gave in, said witnesses.

NHRC TO HOLD SPECIAL MEETING

The National Human Rights Commission in a statement said its chairman had called for a special meeting to discuss the issue today.

The commission had earlier asked Rangamati DC to “conduct a proper investigation into the sexual assault of the two sisters and send a report by February 26”, read the statement sent by a NHRC spokesperson yesterday.