Tripura: Tribals stage massive protests against attack on minorities in Bangladesh

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

Braving the rains, various organisations including youth and student wings of Tipra Motha Party (TMP) and Tripura Chakma Students Association (TCSA), held the demonstrations and rallies, separately.

After the demonstrations and rallies, the protesters submitted separate memoranda to the Bangladesh government through the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala demanding an immediate halt to all kinds of attacks and atrocities on the minorities in Bangladesh.

Chakma community leader Amitav Chakma said since last month continuous attacks, atrocities, and burning of houses, shops and properties belonging to Buddhists and Hindus have been going on in different parts of Bangladesh, especially in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs).

“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,” Amitav Chakma told the media.

Demanding immediate intervention to protect the minorities in Bangladesh, he said that the Chakma community people in India have been urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take urgent steps to stop the violence against the Buddhists, Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.

TCSA Vice-President Dharma Chandra Chakma said that the majority Muslims of in Bangladesh launched a series of attacks to drive out the minorities belonging to Buddhists, and Hindus from their inhabited areas or from the country.

“The situation is very rapidly deteriorating from bad to worse in Bangladesh for the Buddhists, Hindus and other minorities,” Dharma Chandra Chakma told the media.

The Chakma leaders also demanded the implementation of the ‘CHT peace accord’ for the protection of the tribals in the hill region of the country.

The armed struggle of ‘Shanti Bahini’ in the CHT ended through the signing of a bipartite agreement between Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) and the Bangladesh government on December 2, 1997.

Indian 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, Muhammad Yunus, 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.

According to reports, there have been attacks on the indigenous people in the CHTs by the Bangladesh Army and illegal settlers since September 19.

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.