Dispute over land ownership in CHT: Mistrust among tribal, settlers widens
The Nationa, 25 Apr 2006


Dispute over the possession and ownership of land apparently seems to be the main cause of dispute among the hill people and settlers that worsens the relationships between them in the hill districts of Khagrachari, Bandarban and Rangamati.Mutual mistrust due to land dispute is worsening the situation in hill districts and their seems to be divisions even among leaders of some hill people's organisations who fight each other to further complicate the problems of disharmony. The common people from among the average-men both from the hill people and Bangali settlers are not involved in conspiracies to harm each other. Instead they want to live in peace and harmony with each other.Both the hill people and Bangali settlers are accusing each other for grabbing their lands forcibly. But visiting different areas of Khagrachari this correspondent found that most of the Bangali settlers, now living at different "cluster villages" in the district, are facing untold suffering as they cannot go back at their lands.In most cases, the Bangali people cannot go back their lands as the hill people grabbed those and in some cases they cannot go there, as they are being threaten by hill people of severe consequences.Abdur Rahim, a resident of Jaliapara cluster village at Ramgarh of the district, told that along with other 2600 family members, he was taken in the village about 20 years back following the massacre of Bangali settlers by the then Shanti Bahini but he is yet to go back to his leased land to cultivate as hill people grabbed it forcibly. The father of two daughters with a gloom face said that they had to depend on ration to live. Rahim's father was, among 1000 who were, killed by the then Shanti Bahini in 1986.Sheikh Mizanur Rahman of Jaliapara cluster village alleged that hill people grabbed his land.Khurshid Alam of Hazrachara mouja who lost his father, mother, brother, sister and sister in law as Shanti Bahini killed them in 1984 and Khaleda Khatun who lost her left leg to the same Bahini also alleged that they could not go back at their lands as hill people threaten them not to go there."We are living in the cluster villages in inhuman state as the number of families in each cluster village has increased almost four times," said Khaleda Khatun regretting that the government neither took any measure to ease their sufferings nor to bring them back to their lands giving necessary security.Some of the Bangali settlers showed documents in favour of their ownership of lands and alleged that they were paying taxes of those lands but could not go back due to security reasons.A total of 37 families who returned to their lease lands at Gamaidhala under Khagrachari Sadar Thana are living with insecurity as hill people are continuously threatening them to leave the land.Halima Begum, 70, said she came there soon after she got marriage. Four of her family members including her husband was buried here in this land. Referring to the suffering for shifting houses of the settlers repeatedly she said, we returned back from Nunchari cluaster village on April 6. "We will not go back there; they kill us through bullets. We cannot bear such type of sufferings any more," she said recalling that they built their houses and grew many trees and crops in the soil. Joynal Abedin, Chairman of Khagrachari Pourashava alleged, instead of having necessary documents and lease-papers with tax receipts in favour of ownership, Bangalis cannot go back at their lands.Mostafizur Rahman Millat, Member-Secretary of Somoadhikar Andolon, Khagrachari, said there are recommendations of the headmen, who are due to realise taxes of the lands, for giving lease of lands to each Bangali. But the hill people who are claiming ownership of those lands cannot show their documents. Belayet Hossain Bhuiyan, Chairman of Ramgarh Pourashava, termed dispute over land ownership as the main problem in the hill alleging that the hill people are grabbing lands of Bangali one after another.He said the government should form local coordination committees comprising representatives from all communities, including Bangali to settle the disputes over the ownership of the lands in hilly areas.Belayet Hossain however, said that neither the tribal people want to survey of lands nor they agree to show their documents in favour of the ownership of their lands; rather they prefer saying that they do not need documents; they are the owners of the hill lands traditionally.Terming the land commission ineffective one, Belayet Hossain said, "We do not abide by the commission because as there is no Bangali representative in it and it cannot protect the interest of the Bangali community."Monindra Lal Tripura, newly appointed Chairman of Khagrachari District Council, told The New Nation that land survey to demarcate the land is very essential to settle land disputes among the hill people and Bangali settlers for a permanent solution of the problem by ending their misunderstanding."A committee acceptable to all should be formed accommodating representatives from all communities including the Bangali settlers to hand over lands to the real owners properly," he said.The Chairman also suggested that the government could bring necessary amendments to the relevant laws, if necessary, for this purpose.Khagrachari Police Super Mohammad Nowsher Ali told newsmen that the root cause of most criminal cases are based on land dispute; so conducting a survey is very essential to resolve the complicity over the ownership of land.Probin Chandra Chakma, a social activist in Khagrachari said, general people of the hill want to live in peace and harmony."The government should take realistic measures to resolve the problems relating to lands in hilly areas," he observed.