Growing fears over violence against minorities in Bangladesh hill country

By Admin 21 Sep 2024

DMG Newsroom
21 September 2024, Sittwe

Tensions between indigenous people and illegal settlers are on the rise in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, as is violence.

The troubles began after more than 100 houses and shops of people belonging to the indigenous Chakma community were burnt down in Bangladesh's Khagrachari district on September 19.

"The Buddhist minority in Bangladesh is currently suffering and the situation is very bad. Over the last two days, Muslims have been trying to terrorise Buddhist households by burning them down," a Chittagong resident told DMG.

Local news outlets reported that at least four people were killed, more than 10 were injured and hundreds were left homeless during the inter-communal violence.

The Bangladeshi government has issued a curfew in Khagrachari and Rangamati districts in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, banning gatherings of more than three people.

The indigenous people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts say the Bangladeshi army's complicity has been part of the problem.

"The illegal settlers committed arson and violence, but the Bangladeshi army did not effectively stop them," said an indigenous person. "The illegal settlers are making the indigenous hill people flee from those areas. Now many of the properties of the indigenous hill people have been destroyed and they have fled."

An India-based rights body said the large-scale arson attack by illegal settlers took place in the Chittagong Hill Tracts at around 5 p.m. on Thursday.

"Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, lawlessness prevailed in the country. Chief Advisor Mohammed Yunus authorised the Bangladesh Army with magisterial power on September 17 but the same Bangladesh Army supported the burning down of the Chakma shops and houses at Dighinala Sadar today," Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) Director Suhas Chakma said in a statement.

He alleged that Bangladesh Army personnel stationed nearby did not intervene and instead provided support to the illegal Muslim settlers carrying out the arson.

Some students and local residents held protests in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka and Chittagong to denounce the arson attack, and concerns have also been raised in neighbouring India.

The Buddhist Chakmas primarily live in the Chittagong Hills Tracts of southeast Bangladesh, with smaller populations in Myanmar's Chin and Arakan states, and in some parts of northeast India.