Guwahati, Sept 19: More than 100 homes and shops belonging to the indigenous Chakma community were set ablaze by illegal Muslim plain settlers in the Boalkhali and Dighinala Sadar areas of Khagrachari district in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) on Thursday evening.
Eyewitnesses reported that despite the close proximity of the Bangladesh Army, stationed at the Dighinala Cantonment, no intervention was made to stop the arson, which occurred around 5 PM Bangladesh time. Allegations have surfaced that army personnel not only refrained from stopping the settlers but also supported them in the attack.
“Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, the country has descended into lawlessness,” said Suhas Chakma, Director of the Rights & Risks Analysis Group (RRAG). “Chief Advisor Mohammed Yunus granted magisterial powers to the Bangladesh Army on 17 September, 2024, but today, that very army stood by as Chakma homes and shops were burned in Dighinala Sadar. As a result, there are now no Chakma families left in the area. We are still awaiting details on casualties and further violence.”
This attack is the latest in a long history of violence against the indigenous population of the CHTs. From 1979 to 1983, then-President General Ziaur Rahman facilitated the settlement of around 500,000 illegal Muslim plain settlers in the region. This deliberate policy aimed to reduce the indigenous people to a minority in their own homeland. Today, these settlers make up over 50% of the total population in the CHTs.
The attack comes just a day after a massive rally organized by indigenous students under the banner “Sanghat O Boishamyo Birodhi Parahari Chhatra Andolan” (Movement Against Conflict and Discrimination). The rally, held in Khagrachari and titled “March for Identity,” saw a huge turnout of nearly 40,000 indigenous people demanding recognition of their rights and guarantees for their distinct cultural identities.
“The burning of Chakma homes and shops is a direct retaliation for yesterday’s peaceful march. This act of violence underscores the growing insecurity faced by indigenous communities in the CHTs,” added Chakma.
He also warned that the lack of safety and security for the Chakmas under the Yunus-led administration will be raised before international bodies, including the United Nations Human Rights Council.
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