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The long-suffered indigenous non-Muslim Jumma people of hilly region of Southern Bangladesh recently came under new attack by Muslim settlers and the army, killing unknown number of indigenous villagers and burning their houses to ashes...


Introduction: On 19-20 February 2010, military forces and Bengali Muslim settlers unleashed a massive communal attack and massacre on the indigenous Jumma villages at Baghaihat area of Sajek union under Baghaichari Upazila in the hill-district of Rangamati. It is reported that at least 8 Jumma villagers, including a woman, were killed and 25 villagers wounded in this barbaric attack. Some 200 houses of Jumma villagers, including Buddhist temple and church, were completely burnt into ashes.

Background: The indigenous Jumma people, who have almost exclusively lived in the hilly regions (Chittagong Hill Tracts, CHT) in Southern Bangladesh for hundreds of years, have been reduced to a minority in just a decade after the Bangladesh government, in the 1980s, started massive settlement of Bengali Muslims from all over the country. Apart from turning the indigenous people into a minority, they have suffered mass-eviction from their homes and properties, and it has also robbed their livelihood as they have to share their resources and land with the settlers. In the process, the Jumma people have faced massive violence at the hands of the settlers and their ally, the Bangladesh army.

Beginning of the incident: On 19 February 2010 afternoon group Bengali settlers went to the Gangaran Duar area and put pillars on the land of indigenous Jumma villagers for construction of house there. The Jumma villagers protested and opposed the Bengali settlers. Thereafter, around 8.30 pm at night, hundreds of Bengali settlers, led by leaders of the so-called Sama Odhikar Andolon, under full-protection of an army squad from Baghaihat Zone of 8 Bir Bengal, gathered at Gangaram Duar area, and started to set the houses of Jumma villages on fire. That night, at least 35 houses, including 7 shops, a church and a UNDP-run village centre in three Jumma villages of Gangaram Duar, Chaminichara and Baluchara, were burnt down.

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Jumma villagers alleged that Bengali settlers also looted the valuables as they burned the houses. The villagers fled into the jungle when the attack took place.

After the first attack, the villagers returned to their devastated villages the next morning and gathered in Gangaram to protest the barbaric act.

The Bengali settlers returned in the next morning, equipped with sharp weapons, machetes and sticks. Tension mounted throughout the area as the army and armed settlers ordered the Jumma villagers to leave the area, but they refused to comply. At around 10.00 in the morning, the army started to beat the Jumma people indiscriminately. One Jumma villager, as he was being beaten brutally, attacked an army officer, named Sergeant Rezaul Karim, with a knife. Thereupon, the army officer shot him dead on the spot.

Following this, the army opened fire upon the Jumma villagers, indiscriminately, leaving at least 6 dead and 25 wounded. They army also arrested three persons. Since the start of shooting, Bengali settlers, under protection of the army, set the Jumma on fire houses at Hajachara, Guchchha Gram, Balughat, Simanachhara, Baipaichhara, Suranganala, Kerekkaba Retkaba, Jarulchhari, Dane Bhaibachhara, Bame Bhaibachhara, MSF Para and Purbapara villages. It is reported that at least another 160 houses were torched at that time. Bengali settlers also burnt Banani Bana Vihar, a Buddhist temple. The monk of the vihara, Ven. Purnabas Bhikkhu, fled the temple. One statues of Buddha, one given by the Thai government, were looted. As the settlers continued the arson-attack, the indigenous community began resisting them. During this resistance, six indigenous persons were injured.

It is still not clear exactly how many Jumma villagers were killed in the attacks. However, five of the dead were identified. They are:

1) Ms. Buddhabati Chakma (34) w/o Uttam Chakma of Baghaihat Gucchagram;

2) Mr. Laxmi Bijoy Chakma (30) s/o unknown of Golakmachara;

3) Mr. Liton Chakma (35) s/o Karunamoy Chakma of Baibachara;

4) Mr. Bana Shanti Chakma (28) s/o unknown of Gangaram Duar and

5) Mr. Nutunjoy Chakma (28) s/o unknown of Golakmachara.

Some of the injured are:

1) Shanta Shil Chakma, s/o Dhanaram Chakma of Chaminichara;

2) Mrittunjoy Chakma, s/o unknown of Jarulchari;

3) Sushil Jibon Chakma (32), s/o Kinamani Chakma of Chaminichara;

4) Amar Jiban Chakma (30), s/o Majiban Chakma of B-Block of Bangaltali;

5) Mr. Nibesh Chakma (35), s/o unknown of Chaminichara;

6) Mr. Dari Chakma (40) s/o unknown of Nangalmara;

7) Jitendra Chakma (35), s/o unknown of Chaminichara

8) Mr. Prem Lal Chakma (26) s/o unknown of Chaminichara.

It is learnt that the dead body of Buddhabati Chakma was brought at Baghaichari police station for postmortem. But dead bodies of other deceased are yet to be recovered, as the entire area is now under the control of the settlers and army vigilance. On 20 February 2010 afternoon, the army imposed curfew under Section 144 in the area to prevent the Jumma villagers from holding protests and demonstrations.

Background of the incident: In 2005, Bangladesh military forces undertook the plan to settle the Bengali infiltrators along the sides of Sajek road from Baghaichari to Gangaram Mukh. It is worth mentioning that thousands of indigenous Jumma families have been living in this area for decades. Hence, Jumma villagers of these areas have been protesting against this illegal settlement program.

Despites the protest, Bengali settlers illegally constructed some houses at Gangaram area on the land owned by Jumma villagers in 2008. At that time, on 20 April 2008, the Bengali settlers, with the direct support of the army of Baghaihat Zone, attacked seven villages of indigenous Jumma peoples, which saw at least 76 houses of indigenous villagers burned to ashes.

Again, since beginning of January 2010, Bengali settlers, with support of the army, resumed expansion of their settlement in Sajek area under Baghaichari upazila in Rangamati District. Bengali settlers have already erected a number of houses on the land of Jumma villagers. The villagers, under the banner of Sajek Bhumi Rakkha Committee (Sajek Land Protection Committee), submitted a memorandum to the Baghaichhari Administrative Officer on 10 January 2010, demanding that their lands be returned by 16 January 2010. As the deadline expired without any fruitful outcome, Jumma villagers started agitation and started boycott of the Baghaihat market from 18 January 2010. On the other hand, on 25 January 2010, the PCJSS sent a letter to the Home Minister with copy to State Minister of CHT Affairs Ministry and other concerned government authorities demanding to stop the settlement program, and to withdraw Bengali settlers from Baghaihat area. However, government did not take any action in this regard.

Mock attack upon Bengali settlers: It is learnt that Bengali settlers and the army staged a mock exercise to conceal real fact of the attack and to divert the incident to other direction. The purpose was to put blame on the indigenous people as instigator and initiator of the violence.

As part of this mock exercise, Bengali settlers set fire on a few of their almost-abandoned houses. The army also staged a mock gunfight. At a press conference at Rangamati Reporters Unity, the Parbatya Bangalee Chhatra Parishad, a settler student body, also protested the mock-incident and blamed indigenous people for it. They declared the Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission unwanted and blamed it for working in favour of the indigenous people.

Fabricated Media Report: It is reported that most of news media, both electronic and print, primarily reported fabricated news on the incident. They reported that tribal miscreants fired first, clash started since tribal villagers attacked the Bengali settlers and ser settlers’ houses ablaze etc. For example, the leading English newspaper, Daily Star, reported the news on 20 February under the headline: “Criminal killed in gunfight with security forces in Rangamati”. However, it later replaced the headline with “2 indigenous men killed as troops open fire in Rangamati”. The Prothom Alo, a Bengali daily, reported the incident as firefight between Paharis and Bangalis. Most of the media report, reflecting the statements of military authority as well as local administration, aired the news that naturally went against the Jumma people and in favor of the Bengali settlers.

Reaction: Processions have been brought in Rangamati, Khagrachari and Dhaka protesting the attack and massacre. At 11.00 a.m. on 20 February 2010, PCJSS, an indigenous organization, brought out a procession in Rangamati. PCJSS claimed that Bengali settlers, led by the so-called Sama Odhikar Andolon (a fanatic organisation of Bengali settlers) and Parbatya Bangali Chhatra Parishad, torched the houses of the tribal people in a pre-planned manner. PCJSS demanded judicial investigation into the incident, immediate arrest of the people responsible for the incident, and compensation for the victims. It warned of tougher agitation programs if their demand is not met. On the other, Pahari Chatra Parishad (Hill Students Council) also brought out procession at the Dhaka University campus.

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  A protest rally in front of the UN headquarter in Geneva, protesting the attack on Jumma people

Urgent Action Needed: Tension is ongoing at Baghaihat area of Sajek union and surrounding areas in Baghaichari upazila. With this circumstance, please write letter to the government of Bangladesh demanding the following issues:

1)   To conduct impartial judicial investigation into the incident and to send a parliamentary team to inquire about the incident;

2)   To arrest the responsible Bengali settlers immediately and to punish the involved military personnel immediately, and to provide compensation to the victims;

3)   To stop expansion of Bengali settlement and to close Bengali settlers from Baghaihat areas and return back land and homesteads occupied by Bengali settlers to Jumma villagers;

4)   To close Baghaihat Zone army units, and to withdraw all temporary army camps, including the de facto military rule, ‘Operation Uttoran’, as per CHT Accord;

5)   To implement the CHT Accord and to declare a roadmap with specified timeframe for speedy and proper implementation of the CHT Accord.


This report appeared in the Unity Bulletin on 16 March 2010, published by the BANGLADESH HINDU BUDDHIST CHRISTIAN UNITY COUNCIL (BHBCUC).