Food and Livelihood Security in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh

Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region covers 10% (5,093 square miles) of the whole area of Bangladesh. It is completely different in physical features, agricultural practices and soil conditions from rest of the country. The three hill districts Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban comprised the CHT. Culturally diverse 11 indigenous communities of mongoloid races namely, Chakma, Marma, Khiyang, Chak, Tripura, Pangkhua, Khumi, Mro, Tanchangya, Bawm, Lusai of mongoloid races alongside non-indigenous population, mainly Bengalis, inhabit the CHT.

Following more than two decades of politically motivated armed conflict, peace agreement was signed in 1997, which is still under implementation. The region, therefore, continues to be characterized by chronic insecurity and instability with a large number of IDPs in need of resettlement.

The IPs of CHT suffer from chronic and transitory food insecurity. Instability in food price, production, inadequate cultivable land, household’s low income, inadequate & poor transportation facility, and socio-political situation causes food insecurity in the region. Almost 30% of households in CHT have to take loan for meeting up their food consumption, i.e., more than double the percentage of the rest of Bangladesh. The brief root causes of food insecurity in CHT are -:

Kaptai Dam: Since 1958-1960, about 100,000 indigenous people have been displaced due to Kaptai Dam built by the Pakistan government. 1,036 Square Kilometers of agricultural land were submerged by its water. 40% of the submerged land were cultivable land. This led to the displacement of many IPs from CHT, depriving them of any means of livelihood and food security.

Political instability: The political instability in CHT region has led to the IPs’ discrimination, food insecurity and threat to their survival. The people of CHT have been fighting the Bangladeshi Government for their rights demanding autonomy for the CHT (retention of the CHT Regulation 1900), and recognition of their traditional tribal rights related to land in CHT.

Conflict between Traditional and Constitutional land rights: As per the IP’s traditional administration and 1900 manual of CHT, the IPs do not need any written ownership of their land. As per the 1900 manual of CHT, land ownership is to be managed and distributed by the Circle Chiefs’ administrative system. But, the system has been interrupted by the constitutional land laws. From 1978-1983, during the illegal rehabilitation of Bengali settlers in CHT, the IP’s land rights have been ignored and caused communal conflict, displacement and land loss, which later raised extreme poverty and food insecurity among the IPs.

Rehabilitation of indigenous refugees and racial discrimination: Among the IPs, only the refugees who returned from India are given free ration. The Bangladesh government and the Indigenous Refugee Welfare Association (IRWA) signed two agreements in 1994 and in 1997 to facilitate the return of the indigenous refugees. The government had agreed to provide free rations to the returnee refugees. But, the government’s policy has been discriminatory. While it provides about 60 kg rice per indigenous refugee family each month, a plain settler family is given 85 kg rice for the same period. The Bengali settlers have been receiving the said quantity of rice from the very beginning of their rehabilitation in CHT. But the government often threatens to cut the rations of the indigenous refugees. In July 2003, the Prime Minister’s Office directed the Ministry of CHT Affairs to suspend rice rations to 65000 indigenous refugees, but to provide free rations to illegal Bengali settler families in different cluster villages in CHT. However, due to protest from the indigenous refugees, it was withdrawn.

The effects of the prevailing food insecurity leads to a number of consequences that has negative connotations. Namely, it leads to malnutrition among the mothers and child; poor health situation and decrease of physical resistance. There is also lack of awareness on food rights, and poor governance system among the GO service providers. Malnutrition is a very serious problem in CHT. Progress towards better nutrition and health requires a combination of policies and programmes to provide direct nutritional interventions to those who are malnourished, improve household food security, create a healthy environment, and increase access to basic health and social services. Special efforts are needed to deliver these interventions to the community people living in remote areas, and to adopt strategies to the unique needs of the different indigenous groups.