Book Review : 'The Chittagong Hill Tracts : A Victim of Indian

Intervention'

A K Zaman
akz5153@gmail.com

Zainal Abedin in this research work has reflected the problem of

insurgency in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh from multi-
dimensional points of view. A number of books on CHT issue are available in
the realm of publication, but this book makes a distinctive and analytical
approach to rethink about the long-term desire and interest of some vested
quarters at home and abroad.

The writer has highlighted all the issues relating to CHT, geo-political
importance and economic potentials of CHT in this region, the origin of
migrated tribals and settlers in CHT. The premise narrated in the book are :

# CHT is a part and parcel of Bangladesh from time immemorial and the
tribal people migrated to CHT from adjoining areas of India and Myanmar .

# The Bengalis have been the original inhabitants in CHT even before
British rule in this region.

# India plotted conspiracy to destabilize and hinder economic upliftment

of Bangladesh by floating insurgency in CHT instigating the tribal
secessionists.

# Only a section of Chakma tribals is involved with the insurgency and

majority of resident tribals are against this secessionist group.

# During Pakistan rule the tribal community never claimed regional

autonomy of CHT.

# The so-called peace treaty is suicidal and detrimental to the interest of

the country.

# The withdrawal of army from CHT area will give the secessionists a
opportunity for strengthening their position.

The writer has elaborately ventilated the root causes of the crisis of
CHT, but he exerted little on the measures to resolve the problem. However,
this book is undoubtedly a research document which contain valuable
information on CHT. It may be mentioned that even the educated section of
Bangladesh is quite ignorant of prolonged crisis of CHT and sinister design of
India behind it. This book will be a great help to create awareness of the
people in home and abroad about the deep conspiracy of India and its
stooges against Bangladesh. The writer has categorically illustrated that the
tribals of different communities living in CHT area are neither original
dwellers nor aborigines as they try to claim. From historical and
anthropological perspective he proved that they migrated from adjoining
areas of China, Myanmar and India, particularly from her North-Eastern
region. Their physical stature, dialect, life-style and cultural identity indicate
that they are outsiders who settled in CHT. History also reflects that the
Chakma headmen were under the control of the Muslim rulers. But the
tribals particularly the Chakmas intentionally try to misinterpret the concept
'aborigines' to draw sympathetic attention from native and overseas
communities to achieve their ill interest. It may be mentioned here that a
section of electronic and print media, intellectuals, journalists and politicians
also echo the same sentiment and express solidarity with the tribal leaders
to gain narrow political advantage.

The writer has rightly pointed out the common interest and malicious
anti-army propaganda made by Jana Sanghati Samity (JSS) and India. Both
the parties are also in favour of total implementation of so-called peace
accord. They demand withdrawal of army from CHT region to ensure their
hidden agenda. Besides, Indian newsmen, media and intellectuals also share
identical views in this regard. But it is very mysterious that India herself has
not yet signed similar agreements with the insurgent groups of North-East or
Kashmir. India is unabatedly committing large-scale atrocities and violence
and enacted various draconian laws like TADA, Armed Forces Special Powers
Act, POTA etc to validate their heinous activities in her insurgency-ridden
areas for a long time. Besides, India has not withdrawn its troops and other
security agencies from these troubled areas. But India prescribes totally
opposite formula for Bangladesh.

The writer has indicated that Indian North-East region bordering CHT
is geo-politically and strategically very volatile. Besides, this region is also
rich in natural and mineral resources. In fact, CHT area is also considered as
sensitive and strategically significant from Indian defence and security point
of view. The writer truly reflected the intervention and involvement of India
in order to destabilize the CHT region to help her to subdue insurgency in
one hand and to get direct access to North-East region. On the other hand
this will also enable her to contain China.
 The writer has pin-pointed that India uses the Chakma insurgents to
keep constant pressure on Bangladesh and weaken it slowly and swallow it
finally. He has precisely asserted that by doing this India will be able to
intrude its own citizens through 'push-in' in CHT area from its North-East
region. The writer has cautioned about the pernicious tendency of India. He
showed arguments that where India herself has been ruthlessly suppressing
and torturing the innocent tribal people of North-East and Kashmir with a
view to occupying their lands. The writer has also proved that the implicit
presence of India trained insurgents in CHT area will simultaneously
jeopardize the interest of the Bengalis as well as the tribals of CHT.

As a result, India will be able to project Bangladesh as a violator of

human rights and international pressure will increase which will help India to
dominate over Bangladesh. The writer in his book projected India's presence
of army in different insurgency-prone areas where human rights violation is
rampant and atrocities committed by India go beyond description. India
makes tall talks and shed crocodiles' tears about human rights, democracy
of other countries but such norms are not followed by India herself. It may
be mentioned that military crackdown on unarmed minority and civilians in
North-East India and Kashmir is not properly reflected in Indian media.

The writer has also clearly reflected the impracticability, non-

transparency, and duplicity of various clauses of the peace treaty which
needs to be reviewed and amended for greater national interest. Some
clauses incorporated in the treaties are directly against the majority people
of the land and contradicts the basic premise of the Bangladesh constitution.

'The Chittagong Hill Tracts: A Victim of Indian Intervention'

By Mohammad Zainal Abedin
Published by Eastern Publications
16 Silvester House,
London EI 2JD
February 2003
ISBN 984-32-0513-2
Pages: 238