Kalpana Chakma still remains missing as 35 investigation officers have failed to ascertain whether she is alive even after 19 years of the disappearance of the Hill Women’s Federation leader although the court has twice ordered reinvestigation into the case.
The deadline for the submission of the report of the ongoing third investigation into the Kalpana’s enforced disappearance had so far been extended for 22 times since January 16, 2013, when the court asked the then Rangamati superintendent of police Amena Begum for the investigation.
The Rangamati Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court on May 27 posted for June 16 hearing in a prosecution petition seeking the court to ask the police to report the progress made in the investigation into case.
On June 12, 1996, Kalpana, the then organising secretary of Hill Women’s Federation, was abducted by Lt Ferdous from her house at New Lalyaghona of Baghaichhari in Rangamati several hours before the seventh national elections, said Kalpana’s elder brother Kalindi Kumar Chakma, also a witness.
Kalpana was then campaigning for independent candidate Bijoy Ketan Chakma, the then senior presidium member of Pahari Gana Parishad, who was supported by all hill peoples’ organisations active at that time.
Jewel Dewan of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, pleading for the plaintiff on May 27, made the plea for a court order asking for the report of the progress of the investigation.
The latest progress report, submitted by Amena Begum on July 20, 2014, said that it was not possible to complete the investigation until Kalpana was rescued or a final decision on her status was made, as she was the main witness to the abduction.
Kalindi Kumar Chakma had filed the case with Baghaichhari police a few hours after the abduction.
After 14 years of investigation, Baghaichari police submitted a final report to the court on May 21, 2010 and Rangamati chief judicial magistrate on September 2, 2010 ordered the Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation sought by Kalindi as the investigation failed to identify the abductors.
The same court on January 16, 2013 ordered the third investigation as the plaintiff prayed for on the ground that the CID investigation report had also failed to identify the kidnappers and that too without interrogating the accused.
The superintendent of police in Rangamati, Tarikul Hassan, told New Age on Thursday that he was now looking the case but refused to say anything more ny as he was attending a prime minister’s programme in Dhaka.
Kalindi said that his family wanted arrest and punishment of the perpetrators.
International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission co-chair Sultana Kamal said that statement of Amena Begum in the latest progress report was nothing but ‘an absurd statement which by no means can be accepted.’
CHT commission member Iftekharuzzaman said that failure to find out Kalpana Chakma in 19 years after her abduction was a failure of the state and law enforcers. Iftekharuzzaman and Sulatna both said that failure to bring the accused to justice would encourage criminals.
Different organisations of hill people, including the Hill Women’s Federation, have chalked out elaborate programmes to mark the 18th anniversary of Kalpana Chakma’s disappearance today.
Source: New Age
