The Chittagong Hill Tracts Post

াষায় প্রাসঙ্গিক তথ্য বা খবর এই পেজে পোস্ট করতে পারবেন।

Historically, CHT with about 14,000 sq. km area bordering India in the North and North-east and Myanmar in the East and South-east is the traditional homeland to the 11 multi-lingual homogeneous ethnic groups who collectively identify themselves as the “Jumma indigenous people”. The total population of the indigenous people is about 1 million. The indigenous people lost their independence and sovereignty to the British in 1860. Pakistan forcibly occupied their territory on 20 August 1947 in the process of the British decolonization of the Indian Subcontinent and formation of India and Pakistan. Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) inherited the territory from Pakistan when she emerged as an independent and sovereign nation-state in 1971. A delegation of the indigenous people led by Manabendra Narayan Larma placed their demand for provincial autonomy in CHT to the Bangladeshi authority for promotion and protection of their distinct identity and their inclusive growth within the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bangladesh in 1972. It led them to wage an armed struggle against the Bangladeshi authority for their right to self-determination. The conflict literally ended with the signing of a treaty, popularly the CHT Accord, between the two sides in 1997. The key points of the Accord, such as empowerment of the CHT Local Government, restoration of the traditional land right of the indigenous people and demilitarization of CHT and lifting the de facto military rule from the region are yet to be realized. As a result, peace remains elusive in the region till today and human rights violations against the indigenous people continue unabated. One of the biggest challenges undermining the whole peace-process in the region is Bangladesh’s demographic policy which encourages and sponsors settlement of million of non-indigenous settlers in lands occupied by, and traditionally belong to, indigenous people. It has dramatically changed the demographic composition of the region and posed a serious threat to the very existence of the indigenous people. It is causing a huge and tragic humanitarian crisis in the region. It is alarming and shocking. Bangladeshi security forces and settlers allegedly committed gross human rights violations, including 13 major genocides and crimes against humanity, against the indigenous people with complete impunity during the conflict. None of these human rights violations were reported properly to international human rights forums and media! This initiative is crucial for realization of democracy, inclusive growth, dignity of human life and peace in CHT.