Return grabbed hilly land to local people

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FE Team | Published: May 28, 2022 20:31:30

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For different indigenous hill peoples, Jhum cultivation (slash and burn method) is like part of their life and livelihood. Both Mro and Tripura communities actually live on Jhum yields in Lama upazila of Bandarban. However recently, a rubber company has allegedly burnt all the trees of nearly 400 acres of land in a hilly area of Lama to ashes and grabbed the hills for rubber cultivation. The fire not only burnt the crops and plants but also it destroyed the habitats of animals and birds, posing an existential threat to the biodiversity of the entire region.
Minority ethnic communities have been doing Jhum cultivation on hilly areas from time immemorial. However, what Lama Rubber Company did was nothing but a conspiracy to grab Mro and Tripura communities' land. The 400 acres of hilly land belong only to these indigenous people. We urge the authorities concerned to return the grabbed land to the locals, provide them compensation, and ensure their security.
Badsha Faysal,
Jurain, Dhaka,
badshafaysal1998@gmail.com