Promises shattered, violence unleashed:The CHT crisis deepens in 2024

Sanjoy Kumar Barua

The year 2024 has proven to be one of the darkest in recent history for the indigenous Jumma people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Bangladesh, as human rights violations continue to soar at an alarming rate.

Over the past year, 200 incidents of violence have been reported, affecting more than 6,000 individuals, with devastating consequences are documented in a sobering report by the Parbatya Chittagong Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS).

These violations, which include killings, arson, illegal land grabs, and sexual violence, were carried out by various actors, including security forces, army-backed militant groups, communal factions, Muslim settlers, and land grabbers.

Despite hopes for a change following the formation of an Interim Government in August 2024, the situation for the indigenous communities has only worsened.

The government’s failure to implement the CHT Accord of 1997 has perpetuated the systemic discrimination and violence faced by the Jumma people, further escalating tensions in the region.

In 2024, the indigenous people of CHT endured a staggering 200 human rights violations, with 21 individuals killed and 119 homes and businesses burned and looted.

In addition, over 2,300 acres of land were illegally occupied by outside companies, influential individuals, and settlers.

These actions are part of a broader strategy to displace indigenous communities and seize their ancestral land.

A particularly alarming aspect of this year’s violence has been the escalation of communal attacks.

In September and October, a series of brutal attacks on the Jumma people by Muslim settlers left several dead and hundreds displaced.

The attacks were often carried out under the protection of security forces, with the explicit aim of altering the demographic balance of CHT.

In these attacks, homes were looted, Buddhist shrines desecrated, and businesses destroyed.

Adding to the already volatile situation in CHT is the increasing presence of armed extremist groups.

The rise of Jama’atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, an Islamic militant organization with links to regional terrorist organisation KNF has intensified the crisis.

The groups, carried out several violent attacks, including the looting of two banks and the seizure of firearms in Ruma and Thanchi Upazilas in April 2024.

In response, the Bangladesh Army launched brutal counterinsurgency operations against indigenous Bawm communities in Ruma and Thanchi, accusing them of supporting the militants.

These military operations have resulted in the extrajudicial killing of 16 Bawm people, including women and children, and the arrest of 111 innocent individuals.

Despite claims of targeting militants, the operations have primarily affected civilian populations, many of whom had no connection to the armed groups.

One of the most disturbing aspects of the ongoing violence in CHT is the culture of impunity that surrounds it.

The authorities have shown little will to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions, regardless of the scale of the violence.

The case of Kalpana Chakma, who was abducted 28 years ago, is a prime example of this failure.

In April 2024, a court dismissed the case, citing a lack of evidence, despite widespread suspicion that the Bangladesh Army and local paramilitary forces were involved in her kidnapping.

This decision underscores the systemic failure of the judicial system to provide justice for the victims of human rights abuses in CHT.

Similarly, in the aftermath of communal attacks in September and October, while a few arrests were made, the main perpetrators have remained free, shielded by the powerful political and military elites who maintain a stranglehold over the region.

The continued militarization of CHT, especially under the Interim Government, has exacerbated the repression faced by the indigenous population.

In violation of the CHT Accord, the government has authorized the construction of 16 new army camps and a temporary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) camp in various areas of CHT.

These military installations are allegedly part of a strategy to counter militant groups like Jama’atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, but in reality, they have only intensified the suffering of the local population.

The military has been accused of forcibly evicting villagers, disrupting traditional farming practices, and obstructing access to ancestral lands.

Moreover, the army-backed terrorist groups such as the Mog Party, Bawm Party (KNF), and the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) have continued to carry out their own brutal campaigns of violence.

These groups have targeted indigenous villagers, extorted money, kidnapped individuals, and committed brutal acts of physical violence, all with the backing of state forces.

Sexual violence against indigenous women and girls has also surged in 2024.

At least 12 cases of sexual assault were reported, with 16 victims, many of whom were subjected to violence by Muslim settlers.

The lack of accountability for these crimes has further entrenched the impunity enjoyed by perpetrators.

In many cases, suspects were arrested, but they were quickly released on bail due to the weak charges against them and the inadequate response from law enforcement.

The year 2024 marks another chapter in the long history of violence and discrimination against the indigenous people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

The region remains mired in a crisis that has persisted for over two decades, with successive governments failing to implement the CHT Accord and provide a political solution to the ongoing conflict.

As a result, the indigenous Jumma people continue to live in a state of fear, displacement, and insecurity.

The failure of the Interim Government to address the core issues of the CHT crisis, coupled with the rising influence of militant groups and ongoing state repression, suggests that the situation is likely to deteriorate further.