100 shops, houses of Chakmas torched in CHTs in Bangladesh

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 19, 2024

The Rights & Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) alleged on Thursday that over 100 houses and shops belonging to the indigenous Chakma community were burned down by illegal Muslim settlers in Boalkhali, Dighinala Sadar, Khagrachari district, in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) of Bangladesh. The attack occurred around 5 pm Bangladesh Time.

According to RRAG, Bangladesh Army personnel stationed at the nearby Dighinala Cantonment did not intervene to prevent the violence. Instead, they reportedly supported the illegal settlers in carrying out the arson attack.

The Chakma community, indigenous to the CHTs, has long faced land disputes and tensions with settlers, leading to violent clashes in the region. These allegations raise serious concerns about the protection of indigenous rights and the role of security forces in such incidents.

Suhas Chakma, Director of the RRAG, condemned the arson attack on the indigenous Chakma community stating that the situation in Bangladesh had deteriorated into lawlessness following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government. He highlighted that Chief Advisor Mohammed Yunus had granted magisterial power to the Bangladesh Army on September 17, yet despite this authority, the army reportedly supported the burning of Chakma homes and shops in Dighinala Sadar.

Chakma further noted, “Consequently, there is no Chakma left in the Dighinala Sadar area. We are still waiting for details of casualties or other violence at this stage.” He also drew attention to the historical context, explaining that between 1979 and 1983, then-President General Ziaur Rahman had settled approximately 500,000 illegal Muslim plain settlers in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) to reduce the indigenous population to a minority on their own land. Today, these settlers make up more than 50% of the total population in the CHTs, contributing to ongoing ethnic tensions and violence in the region.”

Chakma linked the attack on the Chakma community to a recent march organized by indigenous students under the banner of the Sanghat O Boishamyo Birodhi Parahari Chhatra Andolan. The march, named “March for Identity,” took place in Khagrachari and saw an unprecedented turnout of around 40,000 tribals, marking a significant moment in the indigenous peoples’ movement for recognition of their rights and distinct identities.

Chakma alleged that the violent attack on the Chakma community, in which their homes and shops were burned down, was a retaliatory act against this peaceful demonstration. “Today’s attack on the Chakma tribes is a response to this march,” Chakma claimed. He further emphasized the lack of protection from the interim government of Chief Advisor Mohammed Yunus, stating, “This burning down of the shops and houses of the Chakmas and the absence of safety and security from the Yunus government will be brought before the United Nations human rights mechanisms.”