Fears Grip Ethnic Minorities Following Deadly Violence in Bangladesh – Reuters

By Ruma Paul

DHAKA – Ethnic minorities in Bangladesh’s southern hilly region are experiencing heightened fear following violent clashes that resulted in the deaths of four individuals and left many others injured, according to police and eyewitness accounts.

The recent sectarian violence was ignited by the lynching of a Bengali man, which occurred on Wednesday. This incident has displaced numerous ethnic families as their homes and businesses were destroyed in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), an area adjacent to Myanmar and northeast India.

In response, student-led ethnic groups have initiated a 72-hour blockade of roads and waterways in three hilly districts: Khagrachhari, Rangamati, and Bandarban, which are inhabited by several indigenous tribal groups. The protesters are demanding accountability for those involved in the violence, which escalated on Thursday, culminating in the deaths of at least four men from minority communities.

Many families in Khagrachhari and Rangamati have abandoned their homes, fleeing the destruction left in its wake. Despite a significant deployment of army, police, and Border Guard forces, residents continue to feel anxious about their safety.

"A tense situation is prevailing… Police and security forces are jointly patrolling, and we hope that peace will be restored soon," stated Ahsan Habib, deputy inspector general of Chittagong Range Police.

Officials reported that the lynching of the Bengali man incited retaliatory attacks on ethnic minority communities, with numerous homes and businesses—primarily owned by Buddhists—being torched or vandalized. Buddhist temples were also targeted during the violence, and local mosques allegedly incited Bengali mobs through announcements made via loudspeakers.

In light of the violence, local authorities activated Section 144, a measure similar to a curfew, in both Khagrachhari and Rangamati. The interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mohammad Yunus, has publicly expressed deep regret over the situation and instructed all security forces to exercise maximum restraint while ensuring the safety of all residents.

A high-level committee is expected to be established to investigate the violence, as announced by Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury following discussions with local political leaders and various organizations.

Tensions in the region have historical roots, with the government resettling thousands of landless Bengali families in the CHT during the 1980s, which exacerbated conflicts between these settlers and indigenous groups. In 1997, a peace accord was signed by then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with the Shanti Bahini, a tribal guerrilla group, concluding a 25-year insurgency that sought greater political autonomy for the region.