Nine tribals killed in CHT, Chakma leaders call upon PM to downgrade diplomatic relations with Bangladesh

Indian Chakma leaders submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urging him not to hold any dialogue,  meeting with Chief Caretaker of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Dr Mohammed Yunus including at the ongoing session of the UN General Assembly and further downgrade diplomatic relations with Bangladesh until the lives and properties of the hill tribes and religious minorities are protected in the light of the ongoing organised attacks on the indigenous peoples in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) by the Bangladesh Army and the illegal plain settlers since 19 September 2024.

Since yesterday in organized attacks of the Bangladesh Army and the illegal plain settlers, at least nine innocent tribals were shot dead and dozens injured at Khagarachari while over 100 houses and shops have been burnt at Dighinala Sadar. The innocent tribals shot dead by the Bangladesh Army personnel were Junan Chakma, 70 year old Dhan Ranjan Chakma, Rubel Tripura and Lenin Chakma while five unidentified dead bodies of the hill tribes were lying at Khagrachari hospital.

The memorandum was signed by Suhas Chakma, Founder, Chakma Development Foundation of India; Rashik Mohan Chakma, MLA and Chief Executive Officer of the Chakma Autonomous District Council of Mizoram; Nirupam Chakma, Ex-Minister of Mizoram and Member, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes,  Bimal Chakma Member of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council, Prof.  Gautam Chakma, President, Humanity Protection Forum and Head of the Department, Political Science, Tripura University, Pritimoy Chakma, Convener of Chakma Hajong Rights Alliance and Ashutosh Chakma, President of the All-Assam Chakma Society.

The memorandum highlighted that on 12 September 2024, the Prothom Alo had reported the attacks and damages to at least 1,090 houses, business establishments and places of worship belonging to the minority communities between 5 and 20 August 2024 after the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government.

The memorandum stated that the attacks were being carried out in order to counter the growing use of the democratic space by the hill people and drive out the hill tribes out of the CHTs. On 18 September 2024, the indigenous hill tribe students under the banner of the “Sanghat O Boishamyo Birodhi Pahari Chhatra Andolan” (Anti Conflict & Discrimination Tribal Students Movement) organised “March For Identity” at Khagrachari demanding recognition of their rights and guarantee for distinct identities. About 40,000 tribals, unseen in the history of the indigenous peoples, had participated in the march. The Bangladesh Army personnel are seeking to drive out the hill tribes.

The Chittagong Hill Tracts was a tribal dominated area and despite having 98.5% non-Muslims, the Bengal Boundary Commission awarded the region to Pakistan during the partition of India in 1947. From 1979 to 1983, then President General Ziaur Rahman had implanted about 5,00,000 illegal plain settlers belonging to Muslim faith to reduce indigenous peoples of the CHTs into a minority on their own land. The illegal plain settlers presently constitute more than 50% of the total populations in the CHTs.