Militarization

Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) one of the most militarized zone in the world. There is a Bangladesh Military person for every 6 Jumma civilians.

One of the most salient features of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is the all-pervading presence of military and para-military forces. The military is linked at the highest levels with the civil administration. The justification for the massive military build-up in the CHT was that it was needed to counter and contain insurgency activities of the Shanti Bahini. Shanti Bahini or Peace force was the armed-wing of ParbattyaChattagram Jana Samhati Samity (PCJSS), which was formally dismantled after the signing of a Peace treaty (CHT peace treaty) between PCJSS and the government of Bangladesh on the 2nd December 1997. Counter-insurgency was the main task of the militaries. This included not only typical military operations, but also so called development programmes. The 24th Infantry Division of the Bangladesh Army was the in charge of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The overall command for the CHT is with the General Officer Commanding (GOC) in the Chittagong Cantonment in Chittagong town. Even after the peace accord, the same trend of military rule in the region is still in force indirectly.

The army has four Brigade Headquarters in the CHT: Rangamati, Khagrachari and Dighinala in the north and Bandarban in the south. There are garrisons in Ruma and Alikadam in the south and there are army base camps in each Upazilla Headquarters in the CHT as well as in various villages. In some villages there are camps that are not called base camps but just 'camps'. There are also 'road protection camps' to prevent Shanti Bahini attacks in the daytime. At night the soldiers withdraw to the base camps. There are road protection camps on almost every hill top along the main roads in the northern CHT. From 4 p.m. until about 9.30 a.m. all main roads are closed. The army searches all roads for explosives before opening them in the morning.

At Kaptai there is also a naval base. Helicopters are frequently used to transport people and goods, to patrol and to fight the Shanti Bahini.

The Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) is a Para-military force whose task is to control the border and check illegal crossings. However BDR camps are found deep inside the CHT. The BDR are also involved in counter-insurgency under the command of the GOC.

The Police in the CHT also have a counter-insurgency role under the command of the GOC. Police officers who are stationed in police camps are more heavily armed than those in police stations, who are involved primarily in criminal investigation.

Another paramilitary force is the Ansar (Islamic Guards) which operates throughout Bangladesh. Although the Ansar have their own command structure, their counter insurgency role in the CHT is monitored by the GOC.

Finally there are the Village Defence Parties (VDPs), a voluntary paramilitary civil defence force. The VDPs are selected from among the Bangladeshi settlers.

The Ansar and the VDP carry out their counter-insurgency role under army control; their other activities come under the command of the police.

Military Strength

The CHT commission disclosed the following report on the military presence in the CHT…… From military sources the CHT Commission gathered that there are over 230 army camps, more than 100 BDR camps and over 80 police camps in the CHT. In the north there are over 200 army camps, more than 90 BDR camps and over 40 police camps; in the south (Bandarban District) there are more than 30 army camps, over 40 police camps and nine BDR camps. These figures do not include Ansar or the Village Defence Parties.

The CHT Commission had an impression that the numbers of armed personnel provided by the Bangladesh military was very low, particularly in comparison with the estimates provided by informants from among the Jumma people. The estimates given to the Commission by sources from among the Jumma people, not taking into account VDPs and Police are:

Earlier reports on the CHT have estimated the military strength from 30,000 in 1981 (one third of all the regular troops in Bangladesh) to 120,000 in 1984 (including para-military and police forces). Military handbooks such as Military Balance (1989/90), Military Technology (1989) and Military Powers (1990) estimate the number of army personnel in Bangladesh as varying between 80,000 and 90,000 (excluding navy and air force) plus 55,000 to 80,000 para-military forces (including armed police). If these figures are accurate, the sum of 80,000 army personnel in the 24th Division seems too high. However, as the CHT is the only region in Bangladesh where there had been armed struggle, a large proportion of the armed forces is deployed there. The ratio of military personnel and the number of Jumma civilian in the CHT is 1:6 (one military person behind every 6 Jumma civilians). This makes the CHT most militarized region on earth.

The number of military personnel deployed in the region is believed to be higher than the number mentioned in the report of CHT commission. As soon as the peace accord signed military network of CHT declared operation UTTORON or Evolution on the pretext of fighting terrorism and other unlawful activities. However, the moves of UTTORON mostly target the democratic movements of Jumma youth and ordinary people. Actually, the operation launched in order to legitimate their presence in the region.

Recent land grabbing on military purpose

1.  The government acquired 9,650 acres of land in Bandarban for the

     expansion of Ruma garrison. On 22 March 2005 the government surveyed

     the area and put up poles marking the acquired land.

 

2.  The government has planned to acquire 183 acres of land in Balaghata in

     Bandarban district for the expansion of army brigade headquarter.

 

3.  The government has already acquired 11,446.24 acres of land in Sualok

     Union of Bandarban in the name of an Artillery Training Centre,

    uprooting 4 hundred indigenous families. Each family was provided

     a paltry sum of Taka 3 - 8 thousand as compensation.

 

4.  A process is now underway to acquire 26,000 acres of land in Bandarban

     for the construction of a training centre for the Bangladesh Air Force.

     The proposed site falls in Sualock Union of Bandarban as well as in Lama

     Thana.

 

5.  A plan to acquire 19,000 acres of land in Bandarban for the expansion of

     an Artillery Training centre is now under consideration.

 

6.  In Chimbuk of Bandarban a total of 5,600 acres of land have been

     acquired in the name of constructing an Eco Park.

 

7.  A process is now underway to acquire 5,500 acres of land in Sangu Mouza

    of Bandarban district in the name of creating a "Abhoyarannyo" (animal

     sanctuary).

 

8.  A process is underway to lease away 40,071 acres of land in Lama,

     Nikkyong Cahri, Alikadam and Bandarban Sadar to private individuals

     for rubber and tea plantation.

 

9.  The government issued land acquisition notices for the purpose of

     construction of a battalion headquarter for the Bangladesh Rifles in

     Babuchara in Khagrachari. It seeks to acquire 45 acres of land belonging

     to the Jumma people.

 

10. In Pujgang of Panchari under Khagrachari district the army acquired

     450 acres of land after destroying the villages of the Jumma people.

     The army is now constructing a cantonment on the illegally occupied land.

Source

Life is s not ours: the Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission, Report of United people’s democratic front (UPDF)