In the shadow of global movements supporting Palestinian rights, there’s a stark contradiction that persists within Bangladesh’s own borders. As many Bangladeshis express solidarity with Palestinians in their fight against settler colonialism, the same people often turn a blind eye to, or even endorse, the oppression faced by the indigenous Jumma people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). This selective empathy reveals a deep-rooted hypocrisy—one that highlights how the struggles of non-Muslim, ethnically distinct groups are overlooked, even when the parallels to Palestinian oppression are glaringly clear.
The Chittagong Hill Tracts have been a region of persistent unrest and conflict, rooted in the systematic displacement and marginalization of its indigenous population. The Jumma people, much like Palestinians, are victims of settler colonialism. The Bengali state’s approach to the CHT is not dissimilar to Israel’s policies in Palestine, and yet, the moral outrage that drives Bangladesh’s support for Palestine does not extend to its own indigenous people.
Settler Colonialism in Bangladesh’s Own Backyard
Since the formation of Bangladesh in 1971, the government has implemented a policy of assimilation, encouraging Bengali settlers to move into the CHT in a bid to control the region. Rani Yan Yan, Queen of the Chakma people, vividly described how this demographic engineering was designed to make the indigenous people minorities in their own land:
“One of the strategies the military employed was to make us minorities in our own land by demographic engineering, by bringing in and settling large numbers of destitute Bengali people from the plains.”
The parallels to the situation in Palestine are undeniable. Much like the illegal Israeli settlements that encroach on Palestinian land, the Bengali settlers in the CHT have systematically displaced the indigenous Jumma people, taking over their land and resources with the backing of the state. The indigenous population, once constituting over 90% of the region, has now been reduced to about half, with the state continuing its policy of land grabs under the guise of development and tourism.
This ongoing process of settler colonialism has led to decades of violence and tension in the region. The state’s response to the indigenous people’s demands for autonomy has been militarization, with Bengali settlers used as both human shields and instruments of violence against the indigenous population.
Rani Yan Yan highlighted this violent dynamic in her interview: “The military acquired our land to build and expand cantonments, firing ranges, army camps, and other security facilities.”
The 1997 Peace Accord: A Broken Promise
The 1997 Peace Accord was supposed to bring an end to the armed conflict in the CHT and address the indigenous people’s demands for land rights and autonomy. Yet, more than two decades later, the key provisions of the accord remain unimplemented. Rani Yan Yan articulated the frustration of the Jumma people: “It has been 25 years since the Accord was signed, but the major provisions have not yet been fully implemented... such as the land disputes resolution, demilitarisation of the CHT and rehabilitation of the internally displaced persons.”
The state’s failure to honor its commitments has left the region in a state of limbo, where violence and tension continue to simmer beneath the surface. The Jumma people’s calls for their collective land rights have been ignored, and instead, more and more of their land has been taken in the name of development.
“In the post-Accord times, more and more land is being dispossessed in the name of development and tourism,” Rani Yan Yan pointed out, describing how military-controlled tourist resorts have been built on indigenous land without consent or compensation.
Despite these continued violations, the Bangladeshi government claims that most of the Peace Accord has been implemented. This disconnect between the state’s narrative and the reality on the ground only deepens the frustration and despair felt by the indigenous people, who see their land and culture being eroded with each passing year.
The Hypocrisy of Selective Solidarity
This situation brings into sharp focus the hypocrisy that permeates much of Bangladesh’s political consciousness. On the global stage, Bangladesh is a vocal supporter of Palestine, decrying the settler colonialism and military occupation that has displaced millions of Palestinians. And yet, within its own borders, Bangladesh continues to implement similar policies against the Jumma people.
The selective solidarity that many Bangladeshis display—supporting the Palestinian cause while remaining indifferent or hostile to the indigenous people in the CHT—reveals a deeper issue. The empathy extended to Palestinians, fellow Muslims, is not similarly extended to the non-Muslim, ethnically distinct Jumma people.
As Rani Yan Yan pointed out, the marginalization of the indigenous people is not just a failure of policy; it is a reflection of how deeply ingrained ethnic and religious hierarchies are within Bangladeshi society.
This hypocrisy is not limited to Bangladesh. It is a global phenomenon, where solidarity is often conditional on shared religion or ethnicity. The Jumma people, being predominantly Buddhist, do not fit into the dominant narrative of victimhood that resonates with the majority Bengali Muslim population, despite facing the same kinds of settler colonialism and military oppression that Palestinians endure.
A Grim Reality for the Jumma People
The situation in the CHT remains dire. The government’s refusal to fully implement the Peace Accord, coupled with the ongoing militarization of the region, has left the indigenous people feeling abandoned and voiceless. Extra-judicial killings, imprisonment, and harassment of indigenous leaders and human rights defenders are still commonplace. As Rani Yan Yan noted, “We have had several incidents of mass communal attacks on indigenous peoples backed by security forces after the signing of the Accord.”
The violence faced by the Jumma people is not just physical; it is also cultural. Their traditional practices, such as shifting cultivation, have been discouraged and even banned by the state, which views them as environmentally harmful. This disregard for indigenous knowledge and practices is part of a broader effort to erase the Jumma people’s cultural identity and assimilate them into the dominant Bengali culture.
As the indigenous population continues to dwindle, the future of the Jumma people looks increasingly uncertain.
“The percentage of indigenous peoples in the population has come down to only about half in the CHT, where once we constituted above 90 percent,” Rani Yan Yan lamented, pointing to the ongoing demographic shift that threatens the very existence of the Jumma people as a distinct cultural group.
Moving Forward: What Needs to Change
The situation in the CHT is a stark reminder that settler colonialism is not just a historical phenomenon; it is a present-day reality for many indigenous people around the world. The Jumma people’s struggle for land, identity, and autonomy is part of a larger global movement for decolonization, one that Bangladesh, as a former colony, should be particularly attuned to. Yet, the state’s continued oppression of the indigenous people in the CHT shows that Bangladesh has not fully reckoned with its own colonial legacy.
For real change to occur, the Bangladeshi government must fully implement the 1997 Peace Accord. This means resolving land disputes, demilitarizing the CHT, and ensuring that the Jumma people have the political autonomy they were promised.
It also means recognizing the collective land rights of the indigenous people, rather than treating their land as a resource to be exploited for development and tourism.
But beyond these political and legal changes, there needs to be a shift in how Bangladeshi society views the Jumma people. The selective empathy that many Bangladeshis show—supporting Palestinians while ignoring the plight of their own indigenous people—must be confronted and challenged. True solidarity means standing up for all oppressed people, regardless of their religion or ethnicity.
The Way Forward: A Call for Solidarity Without Borders
The ongoing struggle of the Jumma people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts is a test of Bangladesh’s commitment to justice and human rights. As a country that fought for its own independence against colonial rule, Bangladesh should be at the forefront of the global movement for decolonization. Yet, the state’s treatment of the indigenous people in the CHT reveals a deep contradiction in its stance on these issues.
The Jumma people, like Palestinians, are fighting for their land, their culture, and their right to self-determination. Their struggle is one that should resonate with anyone who believes in justice and equality. But for too long, their voices have been silenced, their rights ignored, and their land taken.
It is time for Bangladesh to confront its own history of settler colonialism and to take meaningful steps towards justice for the indigenous people of the CHT.
The selective solidarity that many Bangladeshis display must be replaced with a true commitment to human rights for all. The fight for justice in Palestine is important, but so too is the fight for justice in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. By recognizing the parallels between these struggles, Bangladesh can begin to address the hypocrisy that has long defined its approach to indigenous rights. Only then can it truly claim to stand on the side of justice, both at home and abroad.
