chtnews.com
Saturday, March 12, 2016
PARTICIPANTS of a school picnic were subjected to harassment and degrading treatment at the hands of the army in Laxmicahri on Friday, according to sources.
The picnic, first ever in Laxmichari, was organized by Education Monitoring Committee at Karnaphuli Tea Estate and attended by more than two thousand people – students, teachers, parents, headmen, Karbaris and elected public representatives.
When the picnic began, two pickup loads of army men led by Major Monir, second-in-command of Laxmichari zone, appeared at the venue and began filming and taking photographs of the participants without permission, violating their right to privacy.
The soldiers surrounded the picnic venue till the end and set up checkposts at the entry points.
After the picnic was over, the army men stopped the vehicles carrying the participants back home and checked and frisked them.
They also took photographs of the students, especially the girl students once more, the sources added.
‘It’s too much, it’s absolutely reprehensible and unacceptable’, a Union Council chairman who attended the picnic told chtnews.com.
‘We have no right here. We cannot even do picnics. The army has made our lives miserable.’ another participant said.
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News No.18/2016
