The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is situated in the south eastern corner of Bangladesh bordering India to the north and Burma to the east. Area: 8,149 km2.


Population:
The total population of the CHT, in 1991 census, was 974,445 of which 51,43% were indigenous Jumma people and 48,57% were non-indigenous Bengalis. At the time of the independence of India in 1947, only 9% of the population of the CHT was non- indigenous.

Ethnic Diversity:
About 13 indigenous ethnic groups, collectively known as the Jumma people, live in the CHT area. The three largest groups are the Chakma, the Marma and the Tripura.

Brief History:

1971 CHT became part of Bangladesh after Bangladesh’s war of independence from Pakistan.
1972 The sovereignty and rights of the indigenous people were denied Bangladesh constitution. The result was that a new national movement, Jana Sanghati Samiti (JSS), was founded.
1973 The Shanti Bahini was formed, which constituted the armed wing of the JSS.
1986 The Bangladesh army and Bengali Muslim settlers went on a rampage of killing and destruction of north-eastern CHT.
1989 The Bangladesh parliament passed four laws to resolve the conflict. Thousands of refugees fled to the state of Tripura, India, where six relief camps were created.
1996 The Bangladesh Awami League government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hassina assumed the power. A National Committee was formed by the new government to resume the negotiations.

Current situation:
The situation of the Jumma peoples has not changed despite of the change of the government in Bangladesh. The Jana Sanghati Samiti maintained their cease-fire to encourage progress in the negotiations. An international pressure will be needed to persuade the Bangladesh government to meet the demands of the Jummas regarding of withdrawal of troops and the departure of Bengali settlers transferred by the government to lands belonging to the Jumma people. The issue of genuine autonomy for the entire CHT region is not yet resolved also. Both external and internal dislocation of Jumma families, as a result of human rights violations and evictions, have severally disrupted the entire socio-economic life in the area.