Chittagong Hill Tracts : Land, people and culture

Although Bangladesh's population consists mostly of Bengali speakers, it also contains a variety of ethnic groups mostly living in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). The CHT an abode of about 800,000 tribal people forming 0.5 per cent of the total population is one of the most diverse regions in the country in terms of geography, ethnicity, culture and traditions of the people.  From time immemorial the CHT has been the home to eleven indigenous ethnic groups. They are the Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Tanchangya, Mro, Lushai, Khumi, Chak, Khiyang, Bawm and Pangkhua. Apart from them, a very small number of descendents of Assamese, Gorkha and Santal live in Bangladesh. There are also Bangali population in CHT settled under government patronisation in 1970s and 80s. The indigenous Jumma people are also distinct and different from the Bangalis in respect of ethnicity, culture, race, language, religion, political history and economy.
The CHT comprise an area of 13,295 square kilometres in southeastern Bangladesh bordering India and Myanmar. The tracts are about 60 km east of Chittagong.  They formed a single district until 1984, when CHT was divided into three districts: Khagrachari, Rangamati, and Bandarban. All the ethnic groups that habitat the CHT have their own language and culture. The Chakmas are the largest ethnic group in respect of population. They belong to Mongoloid race. They have their own language and script. The second largest community is Marma living mainly in Bandarban district. Topographically, the CHT is the only hilly region in Bangladesh. With Ladakh, Sikkim, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka, the Chakmas constitute one of the few remaining abodes of Buddhism in South Asia.
Untypical of Bangladesh in topography and culture, the CHT have steep jungle hills, Buddhist tribal peoples and relatively low-density population. The region comprises a mass of hills, ravines and cliffs covered with dense jungle, bamboo, creepers and shrubs. The CHT is divided into four valleys surrounded by the Feni, Karnaphuli, Sangu and Matamuhuri rivers and their tributaries.  
Rangamati, a lush and verdant rural area belonging to the Chakma tribe, is open to visitors. Famous Kaptai Lake, the largest "man-made" lake, spreading over 680 sq km of crystal-clean water flanked by hills and evergreen forests lies in the Rangamati Hill district. The lake was formed when the Karnaphuli river dam - 153 feet high, 1800 feet long crest - was built for the purpose of hydroelectric power project at Kaptai. The lake is ringed by thick tropical and semi-evergreen forests. The old Rangamati town was submerged under lake water and a new town had to be built later. The lake is full of fish and provides facilities for cruising, swimming and skiing.
The ranges or hills of the CHT rise steeply looking far more impressive than what their height would imply and extend in long narrow ridges. The highest peaks on the northern side are Thangnang, Langliang and Khantiang while those on the southern side are Ramu, Taung, Keekradang, Tahjindong.
The valleys of the CHT are covered with thick-planted forests. The vegetation is semi-evergreen to tropical evergreen dominated by tall teak trees. The natural vegetation can be seen best in the Rain-khyong valleys of the Bandarban district. This district provides valuable wood and bamboo.
The inhabitants of the CHT are mostly tribal and their life is extremely fascinating. Majority of them are Buddhists and the rest are Hindus, Christians and Animists. Despite the bondage of religion, elements of primitiveness are strongly displayed in their rites, rituals and everyday life. The tribal families are matriarchal. The women-folk are more hard working than the males and they are the main productive force.
The main occupation of the people of CHT is agriculture. The Jhum cultivation is the traditional system of cultivation in CHT. Shifting cultivation is one of main components of indigenous culture in CHT. The communities use three different names for it - Jum (Chakma), Yea (Marma) and Huk (Tripura). This type of cultivation is intrinsically linked with indigenous culture.       
The tribal people are self-reliant, they grow their own food, their girls weave their own clothes and generally speaking, they live a simple life. Each tribe has its own dialect, distinctive dress and rites and rituals. Despite these distinctive features there are strong bonds between them. The common feature is their way of life, which still speaks of their main occupation.  Some of them take pride in hunting with bows and arrows. Tribal people are generally peace loving, honest and hospitable. They usually greet a tourist with a smile.
Tribal women are very skilful in making beautiful handicrafts. Weaving is a colourful part of the indigenous community. They have their own tradition to make all types of clothes including blankets, towels, and shawls. Since they have no modern technical equipment everything must be handmade. They also make baskets, bins and various other essential items from bamboo for their daily use.
The culture of the tribal people is also very rich. The biggest festival of the CHT people is Boi-Sa-Bi.  The Tripura call this festival Boishuk, the Marma call it Sangrai while the Chakma call it Bizu. Through this festival they observe the year ending - 31st of Chaitra of Bengali year - and welcome the New Year - 1st Boishakh.
Music and dance is an important part of their culture. They have many dances in celebration of Jum cultivation. Chakma has Jum dance, Tripura Goraia dance and bottle dance, and Marma Thala dance and Monori dance.
Though indigenous people usually have their own dresses and ornaments, often in urban areas people are used to modern and comfortable life and combine traditional culture with current trends. They also have indigenous stories, folk songs and literature. Unfortunately very few people are now practicing these and the new generations are not familiar with these ancient arts.
People are very religious. Chakma and Marma both practice Buddhism, and celebrate a variety of religious events across the year. The temple, known as Kiong, is main place of their worship. "Prabarana Purnima" and "Kathin Chibar Dan" are the main events for the communities. During the three month long rainy season, known in Chakma and Marma as "Wah", the spiritual guides of the Buddhist people practice meditation in a silent space. The Tripura community is mainly Hindu. They celebrate Durga Puja, Swaraswatee Puja, Goraia Puja and Laksmi puja.         
Khagrachari, one of the hill districts of CHT region, is a unique region for its rich culture and ethnic diversity. Chakma, Marma and Tripura are the three main indigenous groups here, and they are also the majority indigenous groups in the CHT. Alongside individual culture the tribal people follow greater Bangladeshi culture.
The CHT people practice their own languages, literature, proverbs, traditional humours, manners and customs, superstitions, songs and dances. However, in recent years there has been some erosion of these traditional cultures as external cultures have become more prevalent in the region. This trend is mainly observed in urban areas. In spite of all this the people of CHT still celebrate some events and practice traditions which are a symbol of their own culture.
The writer is a retired Professor of Economics.
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