IWGIA “The Land Rights of the Indigenous Peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts” describes the struggle of the indigenous peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts region in south- eastern Bangladesh to regain control over their ancestral land and resource rights. From sovereign nations to the limited au- HILL TRACTS, BANGLADESH LAND RIGHTS OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES CHITTAGONG tonomy of today, the report details the legal basis of the land rights of the in- digenous peoples and the different tools employed by successive administrations to exploit their resources and divest them of their an cestral lands and territories. The book argues that development programmes need to be implemented in a culturally appropriate manner to be truly sustainable, and with the con- sent and participation of the peoples con- cerned. Otherwise, they only serve to push an already vulnerable people into greater impoverishment and hard ship. The devas- tation wrought by large -scale dams and forestry policies cloaked as development programmes is succinctly described in this report, as is population transfer (transmi- gration) and mi li ta rization. The interaction of all these factors in the process of assimilation and integration is the background for this book, analyzed within the perspective of indigenous and national law, and complemented by in- ternational legal approaches. The book concludes with an update on the develop- ments since the signing of the Peace Ac- cord between the Government of Bang- ladesh and the Jana Sanghati Samiti (JSS) on 2 December 1997. INTERNATIONAL WORK GROUP FOR INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS ISBN 87-90730-29-1 LAND RIGHTS OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF THE CHITTAGONG HILL TRACTS, BANGLADESH Rajkumari Chandra Kalindi Roy IWGIA Document No. 99 Copenhagen 2000 3 LAND RIGHTS OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF THE CHITTAGONG HILL TRACTS, BANGLADESH Copyright: IWGIA and Rajkumari Chandra Kalindi Roy ISBN: 87-90730-29-1 ISSN: 0105-4503 Language editing: Pippa Small Cover, maps and layout: Jorge Monrás Prepress and print: Centraltrykkeriet Skive A/S Skive, Denmark The author is an indigenous lawyer (LL.B, LL.M) from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of IWGIA nor the Norwegian Agency for Development Corporation (NORAD), who has supported the writing of the original report on which this book is based. This book has been produced with support from the Nor- wegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) INTERNATIONAL WORK GROUP FOR INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS Classensgade 11 E, DK 2100 - Copenhagen, Denmark Tel: (+45) 35 27 05 00 - Fax: (+45) 35 27 05 07 E-mail: [email protected] - www.iwgia.org 4 To all the indigenous peoples from the Chittagong Hill Tracts, including my parents, who have lost their ancestral lands 5 6 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This report was originally prepared with the generous financial support of the Norwegian Development Agency (NORAD), without which it would not have been possible. I wish to thank them for their under- standing and their support. This report is being published by IWGIA, with an additional chapter to update the reader on the most recent developments. However, the original purpose for which it was published remains valid and relevant. I would like to express my appreciation to the Sámediggi (Sami Par- liament) in Norway for their encouraging support. Their continuing co-operation and assistance to their indigenous brothers and sisters from all over the world, in particular from the developing countries, is a source of inspiration. I thank the Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission, and especially Teresa Aparicio, for their endorsement of the need for this report on the land rights of the indigenous peoples of the Hill Tracts. My special thanks go to the Bangladesh Indigenous and Hill Peoples As- sociation for Advancement (BIHPAA) for their invaluable co-operation in the preparation of this report. My special thanks also to Sanchayan Dewan and Tuhin Kanti Chakma for their research. I am extremely grateful to Raja Devasish Roy for his succinct analysis of the relevant national legislation, and for his excellent comments on the draft. Raja Tridiv Roy’s knowledge and experience of the CHT proved to be an invaluable source of information and inspiration; also many thanks for his editorial advice. Last but not least, I wish to thank my husband for his suggestions, encouragement and patience. Finally, I would like to clarify that I bear sole responsibility for the re- port and that the views expressed herein do not reflect the opinion of the donors. Rajkumari Chandra Kalindi Roy November 1999 7 CONTENTS PREFACE .......................................................................................................12 CHAPTER I THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE ....................................................................... 18 1. Introduction .....................................................................................18 2. Socio-economic Perspective ............................................................24 Juming ..........................................................................................28 3. Administration ................................................................................29 Indigenous Administrative Structure ....................................29 National Administration ............................................................... 32 Local Government ....................................... 33 4. Legal System ........................................................................................ 35 ........................................................................................ CHAPTER II HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ..................................................................... 38 ..................................................................... 1. Introduction ......................................................................................38 2. The Right to Trade ..........................................................................39 3. British Administration ....................................................................42 Autonomous Region ...................................................................... 43 The 1900 Regulations .............................. 44 4. Constitutional Recognition of the CHT (1947-72) .................. 45 CHAPTER III LAND LAWS ................................................................................................. 50 1. Introduction ................................................................................................ 50 ......................................................................The Doctrine of Terra Nullius 50 ....................................................................................................... The Concept of Nomadism ........................................................... 52 2. Customary Law .............................................................................. 53 .........................................................................................Collective Rights 55 ....................................................................................................... Individual Rights ........................................................................... 56 ........................................................................................................... Revenue Administration ................................................................................ 8 57 ........................................................................................................... Indigenous Concept of Land Rights .....................................................57 3. Land Administration .............................................................................59 Common Lands ...........................................................................61 Forests ...........................................................................................71 Paddy Lands ................................................................................74 Grove Lands.................................................................................80 4. The Local Government Councils ..............................................81 CHAPTER IV POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES: LAND DISPOSSESSION ....................................................................................... 84 1. Introduction .....................................................................................84 2. Forest Policy .....................................................................................85 The Concept of Government Forests .......................................88 Impact of State Forest Policies...................................................93 3. The Hydro-electric Project (1959-63) .............................................95 Resettlement and Rehabilitation ...............................................98 Impact on Land Rights .............................................................101 The Forestal Report ...................................................................103 4. Population Transfer Programme (1979-84) .................................107 The Settlement Programme .....................................................110 Impact on Land Rights .............................................................115 5. Militarization ..................................................................................122 Influence on Socio-Economic Issues ......................................125