10K Bangladeshi tribals migrated to India in 20 years: Chakma bodies

AGARTALA: Six Chakma tribal organizations of Tripura claimed on Tuesday that during the past over 20 years, at least 10,000 Bangladeshi tribals of Tripuri community entered into India from across the border as their lands were being grabbed by the Muslim settlers in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).

The six Chakma organizations submitted a memorandum to Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Monday and urged him to conduct a statewide study to identify the influx of foreigners, irrespective of their ethnic origin or religion.

The spokesman of the six Chakma bodies, Arunjoy Chakma, told IANS on Tuesday that the Tripuri community among the tribals is more vulnerable to the attacks by the Muslim settlers in the CHT of southeast Bangladesh.

He said that at least 10,000 Bangladeshi tribals of Tripuri community have been settled in southern Tripura and eastern Tripura after they migrated from the CHT since 2000.

There are about 300,000 Tripuris in the CHT.

The six Chakma organizations in a joint statement said that at least 860 families or about 8,600 persons from 28 Tripuri dominated villages under six Union Parishads (Tabalchari, Tendong, Barnala, Amtali, Belchari and Gomti) in Khagrachari district in Bangladesh have fled to Tripura and settled in Sabroom, Silachari, Suknachari, Kaptala Para, Gorakappa, Ailmara, Karbook and Pancharatan and all the way up to Raisyabari since 2000. Every day Tripuris are fleeing as their lands are being encroached upon by the Muslim settlers and about 1,572 Bangladeshi Tripuris have settled in different places of the Dhalai district, Arunjoy Chakma said.

The memorandum of the six Chakma organizations claimed that the Hindu minorities in Bangladesh have been facing serious religious persecution and fleeing to India, including to Tripura.

"In November 2020, the houses of several Hindu families were vandalized and burnt down by radical Islamists in Bangladesh's Comilla district over rumours about an alleged Facebook post slandering Islam.

"On March 20 this year, several thousand followers of Hefazat-e-Islam leader Mamunul Haque under Shalla upazila of Sunamganj district in Sylhet division vandalized 70 to 80 houses of Hindus," the organizations said.

The six Chakma organizations include Tripura Miley Joda, Chakma Socio Cultural Development Society, Tripura Rejjya Chakma Gabujjye Joda, Chakma Youths Progressive Association, Chakma Socio Cultural Organization and Chakma Development Foundation of India. (IANS)

Also Read: Border Security Force (BSF) hands over Bangladeshi boy who had entered India

Also Watch: