The Awami League government in power in 1997 thought it had settled a long-fought campaign for autonomy led by a group of the Chakma, the tribal people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. It seems now, acts of violence have recalled the Bangladeshi military into the region
As the BBC reported on February 23rd,
“Bangladesh’s army has been sent to the south-eastern Chittagong Hill Tracts following violent clashes between Bengali settlers and tribal people. Officials say at least 30 people were injured in violence centred around the town of Khagrachari. At least two people were killed in clashes in other parts of the Hill Tracts over the weekend. One unconfirmed report put the toll higher. The violence is the worst in the area since a peace deal was signed in 1997. Thousands of Bengalis were settled in the 14,200 sq km (5,500 sq miles) region under a government plan in the 1980s to ease population pressure. But tensions between the predominantly Buddhist tribal people and the predominantly Muslim settler community have long simmered. Police say that 100 houses were burnt down in the latest violence in Khagrachari, as relations between the two groups have deteriorated because of disagreements over land ownership”
The piece elides a chapter in the repressive history between the indigenous people of the Hill Tracts and the government of Bangladesh. Though successive Bangladeshi governments had long suppressed the Chakma (Jumma) people, the Shanti Bahini, a paramilitary group rose up to protect the claims of Chakma autonomy. In the 1980’s the government of Bangladesh settled thousands of Bengali’s in the Hill Tracts to in order to slowly cede land away from the Chakma and to also act as human shields–or perhaps triggers to would actually militate against peace. After a long and more or less fruitless struggle, Shanti Bahini laid down their arms and signed a peace deal. Now it seems, the sins of the past have redoubled back on the deal and the people for whom the deal was supposed to guarantee peace. The deal which favored the settlers disproportionately could not hold –could such a deal disfavoring one group, ever really hold?– and now new violence has erupted.
Survival International, a human rights group has claimed that at least 6 Chakma were killed in attack perpetrated by soldiers and settlers. In the meantime the government has distributed food and aid, while the settlers continue to marauds around contested property.
“Till Wednesday night a section of the settlers continued to loot adivasi (indigenous people’s) houses and demand extortion money from the indigenous people in exchange for their right to remain in their houses, alleged adivasi leaders adding the settlers were also threatening the adivasis of ‘dire consequences’ if their demands are not met.”
Dueling claims of wrong-doing are legion, though in many cases they are legitimate. Though the cause of reparations belies facts, and the claims of justice are broadened to fit the case as partisans see them, the government of Bangladesh must bring this terrible chapter of its history to a fair and equitable close.
