Guwahati, September 22: The All Assam Chakma Society and the Guwahati Chakma Students Union held a sit-in demonstration today at VIP Road, Six Mile, Guwahati, drawing attention to the escalating violence against religious minorities in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). The protest focused on the ongoing persecution faced by indigenous Buddhist, Hindu, and Christian communities in the region.
Organizers of the demonstration expressed grave concerns over recent violent attacks in the Dighinala and Khagrachari regions of the CHT. These incidents have resulted in multiple fatalities and numerous injuries. Speaking at the event, Futosh, a representative of the All Assam Chakma Society, stated, “This is not an isolated event but part of a systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing against indigenous populations, encouraged by the Bangladeshi government and military.”
The protestors called for immediate intervention from the Indian government and the international community, demanding urgent measures to stop the violence and protect minority groups in the CHT. The gathering reverberated with slogans like “Stop the Massacres, Protect Indigenous Lives!” as demonstrators appealed for global attention.
According to reports, the indigenous population in the CHT has drastically declined from 98.5% in 1947 to just 55.48% today, due to what organizers described as continued ethnic cleansing efforts. They stressed that the time for passive observation is over, urging global media outlets to bring this humanitarian crisis to the forefront.