book chapter by Bablu Chakma
The Indigenous World 2024, 2024
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Solidarity 2022, 2022
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The Indigenous World 2022, 2022
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The Indigenous World 2021, 2021
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The Indigenous World 2020, 2020
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HerStory 4: Struggles and Successes: Indigenous Women Voices and Perspectives, 2019
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The Indigenous Wrold 2019, 2019
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Bangladesh is a country of cultural and ethnic diversity, with over 54 indigenous peoples speakin... more Bangladesh is a country of cultural and ethnic diversity, with over 54 indigenous peoples speaking at least 35 languages, along with the majority Bengali population. According to the 2011 Census, the country’s indigenous population is approximately 1,586,141,1 which represents 1.8% of the total population of the country. However, indigenous peoples in the country claim that their population stands at about 5 million.2 The majority of the indigenous population live in the plain land districts of the country,3 and the rest in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). The Government of Bangladesh does not recognise indigenous peoples as “indigenous”. Nevertheless, since the 15th Amendment of the constitution adopted in 2011, people with distinct ethnic identities other than the mainstream Bengali population are now mentioned.4 Still, only cultural aspects are mentioned, whereas issues related to indigenous peoples’ economic and political rights, not least their land rights, remain ignored. The CHT Accord of 1997 was a constructive agreement between indigenous peoples and the Government of Bangladesh. But even after 19 years, major issues of the Accord, such as making the CHT Land Commission functional, devolution of power and function to the CHT institutions, preservation of tribal area characteristics of CHT region, demilitarisation, rehabilitation of internally displaced people, etc., remain unsettled.
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Activist's Narrative by Bablu Chakma
Jumjournal.com, 2017
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Papers by Bablu Chakma
Bangladesh often affirms its commitment to promote and protect human rights through its unequivoc... more Bangladesh often affirms its commitment to promote and protect human rights through its unequivocal pledge to uphold the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, international peace and security, respect for international law and rejection of colonialism and racism. However, different state agencies of Bangladesh have been directly engaged in interfering with the enjoyment of the human rights of indigenous peoples enshrined in the international laws for long, let alone the state authorities preventing violations of these rights by state agencies and other non-state actors. During the second cycle of review under the UPR mechanism on Bangladesh held at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 29 April 2013, for example, the government of Bangladesh provided incomplete and inaccurate information on implementation of the CHT Accord and constitutional recognition of indigenous peoples to the UPR session, which has proved non-compliance attitude of government’s commitment to the intern...
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This paper examines livelihood strategies of Tanchangya culantro cultivators of the Chittagong Hi... more This paper examines livelihood strategies of Tanchangya culantro cultivators of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh, in relation to their subsistence, risk-taking, and reciprocity practices, who have been embroiled in compulsive market participation due to paternalist state policies. It puts forward two propositions. First, the objectives of protecting subsistence and of improving familial situation drive Tanchangya peasants to employ flexible strategies in relation to risk management and income generation. Second, it proposes that reciprocity practices provide minimum security to village households in times of crises and exigencies, and work as a safeguard against the exploitation of capitalist Bengali traders. It concludes that subsistence struggles lead peasant families to choose most suitable crops and farming methods and remain open to diverse income sources. Village reciprocity practices, either as dynamic and evolving relationships between two actors or involving the larger community, having different forms, supplement this struggle of peasants for survival.
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Asian Journal of Social Science, 2021
This paper examines livelihood strategies of Tanchangya culantro cultivators of the Chittagong Hi... more This paper examines livelihood strategies of Tanchangya culantro cultivators of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh, in relation to their subsistence, risk-taking, and reciprocity practices, who have been embroiled in compulsive market participation due to paternalist state policies. It puts forward two propositions. First, the objectives of protecting subsistence and of improving familial situation drive Tanchangya peasants to employ flexible strategies in relation to risk management and income generation. Second, it proposes that reciprocity practices provide minimum security to village households in times of crises and exigencies, and work as a safeguard against the exploitation of capitalist Bengali traders. It concludes that subsistence struggles lead peasant families to choose most suitable crops and farming methods and remain open to diverse income sources. Village reciprocity practices, either as dynamic and evolving relationships between two actors or involving the larger community, having different forms, supplement this struggle of peasants for survival.
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Indigenous World, 2019
This article provides an update for 2019.
Bangladesh is a country of cultural and ethnic diversi... more This article provides an update for 2019.
Bangladesh is a country of cultural and ethnic diversity, with over 54 indigenous peoples speaking at least 35 languages, along with the majority Bengali population. According to the 2011 census, the country’s indigenous population numbers approximately 1,586,141, which represents 1.8% of the total population of the country. Indigenous peoples in the country, however, claim that their population stands at some 5 million. The majority of the indigenous population live in the plains districts of the country, and the rest in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). The Government of Bangladesh does not recognise indigenous peoples as “indigenous”. Nevertheless, since the 15th amendment of the constitution, adopted in 2011, people with distinct ethnic identities beyond the Bengali population are now mentioned. Yet only cultural aspects are mentioned, whereas major issues related to indigenous peoples’ economic and political rights, not least their land rights, remain ignored. The CHT Accord of 1997 was a constructive agreement between indigenous peoples and the Government of Bangladesh intended to resolve key issues and points of contention. It set up a special administrative system in the region. Twenty-two years on, the major issues of the Accord, including making the CHT Land Commission functional, orchestrating a devolution of power and function to the CHT’s institutions, preserving tribal area characteristics of the CHT region, demilitarisation, and the rehabilitation of internally displaced people, remain unsettled.
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Indigenous peoples around the world have been observing International Day of the World’s Indigeno... more Indigenous peoples around the world have been observing International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on 9th August since the UN General Assembly proclaimed it in December 1994. Every year the UN selects a theme focusing on different imperative issues facing indigenous peoples around the world. The theme of 2016’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is “Indigenous Peoples: Right to Education”. It is remarkable that the UN has decided to focus on the right to education – a critical issue for survival and development of indigenous peoples around the world. If the right to education can be established, many other rights of indigenous peoples can also be established. In line with the theme of the UN, indigenous peoples of Bangladesh are going to observe this day on 9th August with the theme “Indigenous Peoples: Education, Land and Right to Life”. The selection of this theme is particularly germane while the debates around the issue of multilingual education have created a mixed reaction – hope and despair – among indigenous peoples in the country.
The words of Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, “We will distribute pre-primary level textbooks printed in Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Sadri and Garo languages from the next academic year free of cost,” (the Daily Star, 25 May 2016) following a meeting of the officials of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) on 24 May 2016 has thrown a question towards indigenous peoples whether to be hopeful or not. The promise came out from the Minister was supposedly make the indigenous peoples and their advocates very hopeful. However, after repeated broken promises and lip services by the spokespersons of the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) on different occasions in this regard, the Education Minister’s promise is apparently less likely to fill their minds with hope – at best it can bring about some mixed feelings!
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book chapter by Bablu Chakma
Activist's Narrative by Bablu Chakma
Papers by Bablu Chakma
Bangladesh is a country of cultural and ethnic diversity, with over 54 indigenous peoples speaking at least 35 languages, along with the majority Bengali population. According to the 2011 census, the country’s indigenous population numbers approximately 1,586,141, which represents 1.8% of the total population of the country. Indigenous peoples in the country, however, claim that their population stands at some 5 million. The majority of the indigenous population live in the plains districts of the country, and the rest in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). The Government of Bangladesh does not recognise indigenous peoples as “indigenous”. Nevertheless, since the 15th amendment of the constitution, adopted in 2011, people with distinct ethnic identities beyond the Bengali population are now mentioned. Yet only cultural aspects are mentioned, whereas major issues related to indigenous peoples’ economic and political rights, not least their land rights, remain ignored. The CHT Accord of 1997 was a constructive agreement between indigenous peoples and the Government of Bangladesh intended to resolve key issues and points of contention. It set up a special administrative system in the region. Twenty-two years on, the major issues of the Accord, including making the CHT Land Commission functional, orchestrating a devolution of power and function to the CHT’s institutions, preserving tribal area characteristics of the CHT region, demilitarisation, and the rehabilitation of internally displaced people, remain unsettled.
The words of Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, “We will distribute pre-primary level textbooks printed in Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Sadri and Garo languages from the next academic year free of cost,” (the Daily Star, 25 May 2016) following a meeting of the officials of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) on 24 May 2016 has thrown a question towards indigenous peoples whether to be hopeful or not. The promise came out from the Minister was supposedly make the indigenous peoples and their advocates very hopeful. However, after repeated broken promises and lip services by the spokespersons of the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) on different occasions in this regard, the Education Minister’s promise is apparently less likely to fill their minds with hope – at best it can bring about some mixed feelings!
Bangladesh is a country of cultural and ethnic diversity, with over 54 indigenous peoples speaking at least 35 languages, along with the majority Bengali population. According to the 2011 census, the country’s indigenous population numbers approximately 1,586,141, which represents 1.8% of the total population of the country. Indigenous peoples in the country, however, claim that their population stands at some 5 million. The majority of the indigenous population live in the plains districts of the country, and the rest in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). The Government of Bangladesh does not recognise indigenous peoples as “indigenous”. Nevertheless, since the 15th amendment of the constitution, adopted in 2011, people with distinct ethnic identities beyond the Bengali population are now mentioned. Yet only cultural aspects are mentioned, whereas major issues related to indigenous peoples’ economic and political rights, not least their land rights, remain ignored. The CHT Accord of 1997 was a constructive agreement between indigenous peoples and the Government of Bangladesh intended to resolve key issues and points of contention. It set up a special administrative system in the region. Twenty-two years on, the major issues of the Accord, including making the CHT Land Commission functional, orchestrating a devolution of power and function to the CHT’s institutions, preserving tribal area characteristics of the CHT region, demilitarisation, and the rehabilitation of internally displaced people, remain unsettled.
The words of Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, “We will distribute pre-primary level textbooks printed in Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Sadri and Garo languages from the next academic year free of cost,” (the Daily Star, 25 May 2016) following a meeting of the officials of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) on 24 May 2016 has thrown a question towards indigenous peoples whether to be hopeful or not. The promise came out from the Minister was supposedly make the indigenous peoples and their advocates very hopeful. However, after repeated broken promises and lip services by the spokespersons of the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) on different occasions in this regard, the Education Minister’s promise is apparently less likely to fill their minds with hope – at best it can bring about some mixed feelings!