On 29 August 2016 around 11:00 am, the Chittagong Hill Tracts Hill Students Council (PCP) of Chittagong metropolitan branch and the Chittagong University unit has organised a demonstration and procession against the grabbing of 700 acres of lands by the government in the name of tourism violating the traditional land rights of indigenous Jumma peoples. The demonstration was held at the Central Shaheed Minar in Chittagong town.
In the protest, the Marma Student Council (BMSC), Tripura Student Forum (TSF) and Rakhaine Student Association has also taken part extending their solidarity to the demands of PCP. Ritish Chakma, president PCP Chittagong University branch has presided the protest programme while central organizing secretary of Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Unity Council Taposh Horh, finance secretary of CU PCP Nitol Chakma, president PCP Polytechnic branch Mitol Chakma (Bisal), TSF leader Valentina Tripura and Arpon Tripura, BMSC leader Kysing Hla Marma, Pahari Shramik Kalyan Forum leader Sumon Chakma, PCP Chittagong Metropolitan organizing secretary Anupom Chakma delivered speech in the protest programme. The programme was moderated by Milon Chakma, general secretary of PCP Chittagong Metropolitan branch.
The speakers said, the history of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is a history of oppression, exploitation and a history of struggles for centuries. There are multi-lingual 14 indigenous communities living in CHT. Since the British period and till today the indigenous Jumma peoples have been enjoying traditional land rights for generations and they have a deep relationship with the lands. But it is painful to express that the government of Bangladesh is always in a conspiracy to evict the indigenous Jumma peoples from their ancestral lands in the name of tourism development. Though the CHT is a inseparable part of the independent nation-state of Bangladesh, but the ruling classes are still always in conspiracy to evict the indigenous Jumma peoples forcefully from their ancestral lands. 300 families of indigenous Tripura and Marma communities have been living at Alotila areas in Khagrachori district for centuries. But the government of Bangladesh is trying to evict the indigenous Jumma peoples forcefully from their ancestral lands which they have been managing in a manner to environmentally-sound through a customary practice for decades.
The speakers also urged that CHT has gone through a armed struggle for more than two decades and the conflict has ended by signing an accord popularly known as CHT Accord in 1997, but even passing of 19 years after signing of the Accord, most of the provisions are not implemented yet. They also demanded to fully implement the unimplemented provisions of the Accord soon and to resolve land disputes in CHT by properly implementation of the recently enacted CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission (Amendment) Ordinance 2016.
The protest programme was followed by a protest rally paraded from Central Shaheed Minar to Cheragi Pahar Circle. And finally, the student organisations have submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister of the government of Bangladesh through the Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong district demanding the cancellation of land acquisition for tourism at Alutila area.