Over 100 houses and shops of the indigenous people belonging to the Chakma community were burnt down at Boalkhali, Dighinala Sadar, Khagrachari district, Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) of Bangladesh by the illegal plain settlers at around 5 pm Bangladesh Time today i.e.19 September 2024. The Bangladesh Army personnel who are stationed nearby at the Dighinala Cantonment did not intervene and rather provided support to the illegal plain settlers to carry out the arson.
“Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, lawlessness prevailed in the country. Chief Advisor Mohammed Yunus authorized the Bangladesh Army with magisterial power on 17 September 2024 but the same Bangladesh Army supported the burning down of the Chakma shops and houses at Dighinala Sadar today. 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.”- stated Mr Suhas Chakma, Director of the Rights & Risks Analysis Group.
The video of the Chakma houses being burnt is available at
https://www.facebook.com/arnobchakma.king/videos/1883852318762611/
The video of the Bangladesh Army preventing the Chakmas to save their houses is available at https://www.facebook.com/nepale.nepale.37/videos/1013178893835592
From 1979 to 1983, then President General Ziaur Rahman had implanted about 5,00,000 illegal plain settlers to reduce indigenous peoples of the CHTs into a minority on their own land. The illegal plain settlers constitute more than 50% of the total populations in the CHTs.
“The indigenous students under the banner of the “Sanghat O Boishamyo Birodhi Pahari Chhatra Andolan” yesterday organised “March For Identity” yesterday 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. Today’s attack on the Chakma tribes is a response to this march.” – further stated Mr Chakma.
“This burning down of the shops and houses of the Chakmas and no safety and security from the Yunus government will be brought before the United Nations human rights mechanisms.” – also added Mr Chakma.
