Ethnic girl abducted in CHT, freed after 7hrs
Punishment for friendship with a Bangalee boy?
A female student of Jahangirnagar University (JU) was released seven hours after her abduction allegedly by United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) activists in Matiranga upazila of the district yesterday.
The victim, a Chakma, girl, was released at Giripul area in Khagrachhari Sadar upazila around 3:00pm as the law enforcers started a drive to rescue her, said Joynal Abedin, acting superintendent of police (SP) in Khagrachhari.
Eight to ten ethnic men picked up the girl, an honours student at JU, from a night coach at Alutila in Matiranga upazila around 8:00am when she with her Bangalee friend was returning to her residence in Sluice Gate area of the town from Dhaka, the SP said.
The abductors also beat up the boy and left the place with the ethnic girl, police said, adding that now her friend is in police custody as he was feeling insecured.
"UPDF activists, who were travelling in the night coach from Dhaka, abducted me," the girl told this correspondent.
"They forced me to walk with them. Although I could not continue it for long due to my illness, they compelled me and questioned repeatedly why I made friendship with a Bangalee boy," she said with tears in her eyes.
After walking about 12 to 14 kilometres through the hills, they reached Giripul where the abductors released her and escaped, she said.
Contacted, Niran Chakma, press and information secretary of UPDF, denied the allegation of abduction against their organisation.
"Some ethnic youths picked up the girl after observing her unusual attitude towards her friend. The UPDF helped to rescue the girl", he said.
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