Hill Voice, 29 April 2025, International Desk: Representative of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS), Manojit Chakma, has delivered statement on Agenda Item 5 (d): “Human Rights Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; Annual review of Progress on the Implementation of General Recommendation No. 39 (2022)” on Monday (April 28) at the 24th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII).

The full text of his statement is given below:

The overall human rights situation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh is extremely worrying. Human rights violations such as communal attacks on indigenous people, land grabbing, eviction of indigenous villages, violence against indigenous women, criminalization of rights activists, army raids, house searches, arbitrary arrests and beatings, etc. continue.

The year 2024 has witnessed 200 incidents of human rights violations wherein 6,055 Jumma people fell prey to human rights violations perpetrated by the military forces, law & order forces deputed in CHT, the army-sponsored terrorist groups, communal and fundamentalist quarters, Muslim Bengali settlers and the land grabbers.

One of the incidents was on 18-20 September 2024 in Dighinala, Khagrachari Sadar and Rangamati Sadar while the other one in Khagrachari Sadar on 1 October 2024. During the attacks, 4 persons were brutally killed by the army and Muslim Bengali settlers while more than one hundred Jumma people were wounded. More than hundred houses, shops and business installations of the Jumma people were blazed. Besides, Moitree Vihara, the Buddhist shrine was looted and vandalized. The CHT Regional Council office was attacked and 10 vehicles were burnt to ashes. The ground floor of the office was also set in fire. But the administration took no action against the attackers.

On January 15, 2025, another brutal attack was carried out on indigenous students by army-backed students of Muslim Bengali settlers under the banner of ‘Students for Sovereignty’ in Dhaka. In that attack, 22 indigenous students and rights activists were injured. Although the police arrested 5 people in that attack, three have already been released on bail.

The UN Human Rights Council has already decided to establish a Human Rights Office in Dhaka. I request the UN Human Rights Council, through the Permanent Forum, to establish an Indigenous Cell in that Human Rights Office to look after the human rights issues of indigenous peoples.