Chakma body urges B’desh govt to withdraw magisterial powers of Army

The Central Young Chakma Association (CYCA), the largest community-based organisation of the Chakma tribal community of Mizoram has urged the interim Bangladesh government to withdraw the magisterial and policing powers granted to the Army to ensure the protection of the indigenous people and preventing further militarisation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) region.

CYCA President Jyoti Bikash Chakma said that they implore the interim Bangladesh government led by Muhammad Yunus to immediately withdraw the magisterial and policing powers granted to the Army officers in the CHT to ensure the protection of the Indigenous (Adivasi) people and prevent further militarisation of the region.

He said that extending magisterial and policing powers to the Army officers in CHT risks severe misuse against the indigenous population given the mountainous region’s troubling history of military excesses and oppression of indigenous people.

There is a high risk of these powers being used to silence indigenous voices, suppress their rights, and facilitate further violence.

Jyoti Bikash Chakma said that the atrocities against the indigenous communities, who are also religious minorities in Bangladesh, come at a time when the country is under the interim government of Yunus, who, he said is widely recognised for his contributions to peace and social development.

“The communal attacks on the Chakma and other tribals have come to light days after Bangladesh granted magistracy powers to the army for two months, ostensibly to improve law and order and curb subversive acts.”

“These powers allow Army officers to act as special executive magistrates with the authority to arrest and, in self-defence and in extreme circumstances, to open fire,” the tribal leader said.

He said that unfortunately, this move has proved to be a nightmare for the indigenous people of the CHT, given the region’s troubling history of military excesses, notoriety, and oppression of indigenous people.

The indigenous people of the region are peace-loving, hospitable, and open-minded, and do not pose a threat that warrants such heavy-handed action.

The granting of this special power to the Army has only made the minority indigenous communities more vulnerable to the military's notoriety, the CYCA leader stated.

Thousands of tribals, mostly Buddhist Chakmas, on Saturday, organised massive demonstrations and rallies in Mizoram and Tripura to protest the continuous attack on minorities in neighbouring Bangladesh.

Chakma community leader Amitav Chakma said in Agartala: “More than 79 people, mostly from the Chakma community, were killed by Muslims and their goons during the past few weeks. The Bangladesh government is yet to take any effective step to stop these acts of violence against innocent people.”

Chakma leaders on Friday urged the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) not to hold any dialogue or meeting with the Chief Adviser of the interim Bangladesh government at the ongoing session of the UN General Assembly.

The Chakma leaders, in a memorandum submitted to PM Modi, also sought downgrading of diplomatic relations with Bangladesh until the lives and properties of the hill tribes and religious minorities are protected.

The Chakma leaders in their memorandum claimed that since September 19, at least nine innocent tribals were shot dead while dozens were injured at Khagrachari in “organised attacks” by the Bangladesh Army and the illegal settlers.

Besides, over 100 houses and shops have been burnt at Dighinala Sadar.

The Buddhist Chakmas mainly live in the CHT of southeast Bangladesh, the Chin and Arakan provinces of Myanmar and several states of India’s northeastern region.

Meanwhile, Tipra Motha Party (TMP) supremo Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma on Sunday said that his party would hold a rally in Agartala on September 26 to protest the attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.

TMP’s youth wing after a protest rally submitted a memorandum on Saturday to the Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Agartala, demanding the safety of minorities in the CHT.

Debbarma said that after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government in Bangladesh on August 5, attacks on minorities were unleashed in several districts of that country.

The TMP chief urged the Indian government to raise the issue of attacks and atrocities on minorities in Bangladesh at the United Nations.