The Chittagong Hill Tracts Hill Students' Council (PCP), an organisation of indigenous Jumma students working for rights of indigenous Jumma people, is concerned with the International Religious Freedom Report 2008 on Bangladesh published by US State Department on 19 September 2008 .
It is very astonishing that the International Religious Freedom Report 2008 does not include any incident on religious persecution on indigenous Jumma people, though there are huge religious persecutions in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) committed by the military forces,
Bengali Muslim settlers and local government administration. Rather, the report includes a segregated incident that says, "Members of a banned insurgent group called Shanti Bahini in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) attacked Chengko Marma, a member of CLB′s community awareness team in Khagrachhari Hill District on September 6, 2007 ." In fact, there is no more "Shanti Bahini" after signing of the CHT Peace Accord. It was abolished soon after the signing of the Accord by the PCJSS.
It is worth mentioning that religious persecution is common in the CHT. Buddhist monks are often harassed and assaulted and their places of worship come under frequent attack. For example, on 5 November 2007 Major Qamruzzaman, commander of Babuchara zone, called Sneha Moy Chakma and Santosh Jibon Chakma to his camp and ordered them not to use loudspeaker for public announcement of the Katin Chivor Danotsav, the biggest religious festival in CHT. The Major gave no reason for the whimsical embargo, but added that he would allow using loudspeakers only if they could show written permission from the Deputy Commissioner of Khagrachari district in this regard.
On 13 August 2007 the Bengali Muslim settlers from cluster villages of Dighinala and adjacent upazilas in Khagrachari district directly guided by army troops from Dighinala cantonment of Khagrachari region cleared bushes and made some makeshift at Sadhana area of Babuchara.
The said area covering about 300 acres of land has been inhabited by 150 families of Buddhist indigenous Jumma people and a Buddhist Meditation Center named Sadhana Tila Bana Vihar.
Despites continuation of illegal Bengali settlement in Mahalchari upazila in Khagrachari district, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Mahalchari Md. Abdul Matin has issued a public notice on 12 September 2007 prohibiting construction of new religious institutions without prior permission of the authorities concerned. Although the prohibitory measure is applicable to all the three major religious places of worship in CHT, it is to restrict the practice of religions other than Islam and to facilitate further expansion of illegal Bengali settlement in CHT.
On 6 August 2006 a Buddhist temple of Challyatali village under Longadu upazila (sub-district) in Rangamati district was destroyed by a group of Bengali settlers from Challyatali mouza led by Rafique Uddin s/o Abdul Barek with an aim to occupy the land of indigenous Jumma people. The Jumma villagers put objection to the UNO (upazila executive officer) against Mr. Rafique Uddin and his gang, but no culprit was arrested so far.
On 17 July a group of army personnel led by Captain Raihan of Shuknachari camp commander raided "Bhujuli Bhavana Kendra", a Buddhist meditation centre, situated on remote Bhujulichuk hill-top in Lakshmichari upazila under Khagrachari district, destroyed the prayer hall and took two Buddhist novices and their attendant to the camp.
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CHT Hill Students Council (PCP)
It is very astonishing that the International Religious Freedom Report 2008 does not include any incident on religious persecution on indigenous Jumma people, though there are huge religious persecutions in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) committed by the military forces,
Bengali Muslim settlers and local government administration. Rather, the report includes a segregated incident that says, "Members of a banned insurgent group called Shanti Bahini in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) attacked Chengko Marma, a member of CLB′s community awareness team in Khagrachhari Hill District on September 6, 2007 ." In fact, there is no more "Shanti Bahini" after signing of the CHT Peace Accord. It was abolished soon after the signing of the Accord by the PCJSS.
It is worth mentioning that religious persecution is common in the CHT. Buddhist monks are often harassed and assaulted and their places of worship come under frequent attack. For example, on 5 November 2007 Major Qamruzzaman, commander of Babuchara zone, called Sneha Moy Chakma and Santosh Jibon Chakma to his camp and ordered them not to use loudspeaker for public announcement of the Katin Chivor Danotsav, the biggest religious festival in CHT. The Major gave no reason for the whimsical embargo, but added that he would allow using loudspeakers only if they could show written permission from the Deputy Commissioner of Khagrachari district in this regard.
On 13 August 2007 the Bengali Muslim settlers from cluster villages of Dighinala and adjacent upazilas in Khagrachari district directly guided by army troops from Dighinala cantonment of Khagrachari region cleared bushes and made some makeshift at Sadhana area of Babuchara.
The said area covering about 300 acres of land has been inhabited by 150 families of Buddhist indigenous Jumma people and a Buddhist Meditation Center named Sadhana Tila Bana Vihar.
Despites continuation of illegal Bengali settlement in Mahalchari upazila in Khagrachari district, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Mahalchari Md. Abdul Matin has issued a public notice on 12 September 2007 prohibiting construction of new religious institutions without prior permission of the authorities concerned. Although the prohibitory measure is applicable to all the three major religious places of worship in CHT, it is to restrict the practice of religions other than Islam and to facilitate further expansion of illegal Bengali settlement in CHT.
On 6 August 2006 a Buddhist temple of Challyatali village under Longadu upazila (sub-district) in Rangamati district was destroyed by a group of Bengali settlers from Challyatali mouza led by Rafique Uddin s/o Abdul Barek with an aim to occupy the land of indigenous Jumma people. The Jumma villagers put objection to the UNO (upazila executive officer) against Mr. Rafique Uddin and his gang, but no culprit was arrested so far.
On 17 July a group of army personnel led by Captain Raihan of Shuknachari camp commander raided "Bhujuli Bhavana Kendra", a Buddhist meditation centre, situated on remote Bhujulichuk hill-top in Lakshmichari upazila under Khagrachari district, destroyed the prayer hall and took two Buddhist novices and their attendant to the camp.
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CHT Hill Students Council (PCP)
