Indigenous communities in Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts flee communal violence

Hundreds of indigenous families in Rangamati and Khagrachari districts of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in southeastern Bangladesh are living in the forest or in hiding following a recent outbreak of communal violence that has left several people dead and property damaged.

The families fled for their lives as Bengali Muslim settlers attacked the indigenous residents, looting and burning their homes and businesses. “Like many, we fled the area and took shelter in the forest. From here, we could see the flames and smoke. We fear that many of our homes and businesses have been burned,” said Inasta Chakma, a local resident. The Daily Star newspaper. (The Daily Star)

The Chhattisgarh region, which comprises the districts of Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban, is home to more than 11 indigenous ethnic minority communities, the majority of whom practice Theravada Buddhism. Previous Bangladeshi governments introduced thousands of Bengali Muslim settlers into the Chhattisgarh region from the country's lowland districts, leading to forced land grabs, incidents of harassment and rape of indigenous girls and women, and destruction of businesses and crops by the new settlers.

Protests by indigenous communities have often been met with attacks by settlers. The region is also heavily militarized. A 2012 report by the nonprofit International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) indicated that one-third of Bangladesh’s military was stationed in the region, making it the most militarized region in the country. Although successive governments have insisted that the military presence is necessary to ensure peace, indigenous communities have complained of attacks and atrocities by settlers with the support of security personnel.

According to local media, the latest outbreak of violence was triggered by the death of a Bengali Muslim man, a suspected motorcycle thief, in Khagrachari district. A group of settlers then demonstrated to protest his death, followed by a counter-protest by indigenous students. These incidents triggered a series of counter-protests and attacks that spread to neighbouring Rangamati district, resulting in the deaths of four indigenous people. The situation in the area remained tense at the time of writing.

The historic Maitri Vihar Monastery, a Buddhist monastery in Rangamati, Parbatya (Hill) Bhikkhu Sangha Bangladesh, was also attacked. According to resident monk Nandasara Bhikkhu, the attackers looted donation boxes after vandalizing the premises. The monk urged the government to conduct a fair investigation to ensure that the culprits are brought to justice.

Talk to The commercial standard According to a newspaper report, Devasish Roy, chief of the Chakma circle, one of the three hereditary chiefdoms of the CHT, blamed the violence on the repeated failure of previous governments to take decisive action. “This is not the first time that such violence has occurred, and those responsible have not yet been identified and held accountable. Failure to punish past offenders sends a message that there are no consequences for this behaviour,” Roy said.The commercial standard)

The International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission (CHTC) and the IWGIA condemned the violence. In a statement, the two organizations accused the military of supporting settlers in their attacks on indigenous communities. The statement, quoted by The Daily Starread:

The role of the military in these attacks raises serious concerns. Live footage from Rangamati shows settlers armed with clubs and sticks walking behind three military vans around noon in the Fishery Ghaat area, without any intervention from the military. This mob then attacked Jummo people and their property. (The Daily Star)

Both the CHTC and the IWGIA have demanded that the interim government of Bangladesh form a UN-led commission of inquiry to investigate the violence in Khagrachhari and Rangamati, as well as the role of the military.

Meanwhile, a statement posted on the official Facebook page of the interim government's chief adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, a 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner, called for calm and said all violent incidents would be investigated. An Interior Ministry adviser, one of three advisers sent by Professor Yunus to the region to investigate the case, vowed to punish the perpetrators.Dhaka Tribune)

Clashes between indigenous communities and Bengali Muslim settlers are common in the CHT. In 1992, several hundred unarmed indigenous people were killed in Logang, Khagrachari. In Rangamati, in 1998, 40 indigenous people were killed in attacks. More than 400 homes and Buddhist monasteries of indigenous communities were burned in 2010, and hundreds of indigenous homes were burned in 2017. In each case, the attacks were allegedly supported by or carried out in the presence of security forces. No investigations have been conducted into these incidents and no perpetrators have been charged or punished.

Seems more

Decisive action in previous incidents could have prevented the latest CHT unrest: King Chakma (The commercial standard)
Fear and tension envelop hills after violence (The commercial standard)
30 native houses and shops burnt in Khagrachhari (The Daily Star)
CHTC and IWGIA want UN-led committee to investigate CHT violence (The Daily Star)
Violence at the CHT: three cases filed for murder and vandalism (Bangladesh Post)
Fear reigns in the CHT (New Age)
Home Advisor: No leniency for anyone who disrupts law and order in CHT (Dhaka Tribune)
Bangladesh: Reprisal killings in Logong, Chittagong Hill Tracts, April 1992 (Amnesty International)

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