Kalpana Chakma

Who is Kalpana Chakma?

Kalpana Chakma is an indigenous women's rights activist of Bangladesh who held the position of General Secretary of the Hill Women's Federation. She and her two brothers were abducted on 12 June 1996 from her home at Lallyaghona village by the members of the Bangladesh Army. Kalpana Chakma is still missing, it is feared that she might have been killed if she did not agree to marry Lieutenant Ferdous, the army officer who led the abduction.

Abduction of indigenous Chakma women is not unusual in the CHT. Abduction and forced marriage of indigenous Chakma women are used as a technique to assimilate the Chakma Buddhists into the Islamic Bangladeshi society.