Chittagong at a Crossroads: Indigenous Rights Under Threat, Port Privatisation, Campus Tensions, and Tribunal Revelations
Chittagong and its restive Hill Tracts are drawing urgent international attention this week as indigenous communities sound alarms over new government-appointed committees they say undermine the 1997 Peace Accord, while rights groups denounce escalating militarisation of the region. Alongside these tensions, Chittagong University is hosting a landmark international academic conference attended by researchers from twenty-four countries, the United States has voiced support for privatising the strategic port, a military tribunal has heard explosive testimony placing former leaders in Chittagong on the eve of the 1981 coup, and a student union leader has reported being threatened with violence on campus.
Three New CHT Committees Alarm Indigenous Communities Over Peace Accord Erosion
An opinion piece by Purna Lal Chakma in Eurasia Review raises serious concerns about three newly formed government committees in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, arguing they represent a direct threat to the constitutionally recognised autonomy of indigenous communities. The CHT is home to over a dozen indigenous ethnic groups and has been governed under a special framework since the 1997 Peace Accord ended decades of armed conflict. Chakma writes that the new committees expand the administrative footprint of central government agencies in an area where indigenous-led bodies were meant to hold primary authority over land and resources. The concern is that these committees will supplant the Hill District Councils and the CHT Regional Council, both established under the peace agreement as expressions of limited self-governance. Critics argue that creating parallel administrative structures without meaningful consultation with indigenous representatives breaches the spirit of the 1997 Accord. Chakma's op-ed, published September 15, reflects deep anxiety among CHT inhabitants that incremental policy changes are steadily eroding the protections secured through years of negotiation. [1]
Rights Activists Condemn Increased Militarisation of Bangladesh's Hill Tracts
Human rights activists have sharply condemned what they describe as an intensification of military presence across Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts, according to UCAnews. Civil society groups and indigenous rights organisations are speaking out against the deployment of additional security forces, arguing that a heavy military footprint deepens the sense of occupation among local communities rather than providing genuine security. Critics contend that the CHT has historically suffered under military administration and that increased securitisation signals a regression from the 1997 Peace Accord's promise of a phased withdrawal of temporary military camps from the region. Activists are calling on the Bangladesh government to honour its peace commitments and to engage indigenous leaders in meaningful dialogue rather than relying on security deployments as a governance tool. The escalation of military activity is particularly alarming because it coincides with the creation of new administrative committees that indigenous communities already view as undermining their self-governance rights. The convergence of these pressures has raised fears that the state is pursuing a coordinated strategy to reassert central control over the entire Chittagong Hill Tracts region. [2]
Researchers from 24 Countries Gather for International Conference at Chittagong University
Chittagong University is hosting a major international academic conference that has drawn researchers from twenty-four countries, according to The Daily Star, published September 16, 2026. The event represents a significant moment for the university's global academic profile and reflects growing interest among international scholars in research being produced at one of Bangladesh's leading institutions. The gathering brings together experts from across disciplines to share findings, forge collaborations, and engage with Bangladesh's academic community in a spirit of open scholarly exchange. Chittagong University, situated on a hillside on the outskirts of the port city, has long served as the intellectual hub of southeastern Bangladesh and a centre for student life and political discourse. The participation of researchers from twenty-four countries signals that the university's academic reputation is gaining traction well beyond South Asia. The Daily Star highlights this event as a positive milestone both for the university and for Chittagong's standing as a destination for international knowledge exchange, with faculty and students expected to present research spanning the sciences, humanities, and social studies. [3]
Analysts Warn Chittagong's Indigenous Tribal Communities Face Risk of Ethnocide
An analytical article in The Federal warns that the indigenous tribal population of the Chittagong Hill Tracts faces a genuine risk of ethnocide — the deliberate destruction of a people's culture and identity even without physical annihilation. The piece catalogues the multiple pressures converging on CHT communities: land seizures by settlers, the imposition of Bengali administrative frameworks, demographic change through in-migration that has altered the region's ethnic composition, and cultural assimilation policies that marginalise indigenous languages and customs. The Federal argues that international and domestic mechanisms designed to protect indigenous peoples have been inadequate to address the scale of the threat. The analysis situates current conditions within decades of institutional neglect and political marginalisation, noting that even the 1997 Peace Accord did not fully deliver on its promises regarding land rights and self-governance. The concept of ethnocide, though less visible than physical violence, is presented as an equally grave danger to the survival of the distinct cultures that have inhabited the Chittagong Hills for generations. Activists and analysts are urging greater international scrutiny of Bangladesh's approach to the CHT. [4]
United States Backs Privatisation of Bangladesh's Chittagong Port
The United States government has expressed support for the privatisation of Chittagong port, one of Bangladesh's most strategically important trade gateways and the primary maritime hub for the country's export-driven garment and manufacturing industries, according to Port Strategy. The US endorsement reflects American interest in opening Bangladesh's port infrastructure to private investment, which advocates argue would modernise operations, attract foreign capital, and improve efficiency at a facility long criticised for congestion and outdated equipment. Chittagong port handles the vast majority of Bangladesh's seaborne trade, and its performance directly affects the competitiveness of the country's exports on global markets. The US position aligns with broader international pressure on Bangladesh to liberalise its logistics sector and allow greater private-sector participation in port management. Critics of privatisation warn that handing a national strategic asset to private operators carries sovereignty risks and could raise costs for domestic shippers. Port Strategy notes that American diplomatic endorsement adds significant weight to a privatisation debate that has been simmering in Bangladesh's policy circles as the country seeks to modernise its infrastructure. [6]
Tribunal Testimony Places Ershad in Chittagong Days Before 1981 Assassination
New testimony before Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal has linked former Army Chief Hussain Muhammad Ershad to Chittagong in the days preceding the 1981 coup that killed President Ziaur Rahman, according to RTV News. Former army officer Mozaffar Hossain disclosed during interrogation that it was retired Lieutenant Colonel Matiur Rahman who fired the fatal shot, and that Ershad had traveled to Chittagong by helicopter approximately two days before the killing. The disclosure was made public by ICT Prosecutor Tanvir Hasan Zoha following a six-hour interrogation session conducted on Sunday, September 13, with investigation continuing into the following day. The assassination of Ziaur Rahman in May 1981 at the Chittagong Circuit House remains one of the most consequential events in Bangladesh's post-independence history. Tribunal proceedings are revisiting the event as part of a broader investigation into historical accountability. Hossain's testimony represents a significant evidentiary development that deepens Chittagong's already prominent place in Bangladesh's turbulent political history, and the tribunal is expected to summon additional witnesses as the investigation continues. [7]
Chittagong University Student Union Leader Reports Threats From Rival Political Group
A student union leader at Chittagong University has come forward to report receiving a direct threat of physical violence from a figure identified as a leader of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, according to The Daily Star. The vice-president of a Chittagong University hall union reportedly told The Daily Star that the JCD leader threatened: 'You have 28 days left of Cucsu, then I'll beat you,' with Cucsu referring to the Chittagong University Central Students Union. The reported threat illustrates the tense atmosphere around student union politics at the university following recent campus electoral cycles. Student politics in Bangladesh's universities has a long history of factional competition, and threats or acts of violence between rival groups are a persistent concern for campus safety. The Cucsu is Chittagong University's central student body and its leadership is closely contested given the ties between student wings and national political parties. The Daily Star's report raises questions about campus safety and the ability of elected student representatives to carry out their roles free from intimidation. [8]
Sources: [1] Eurasia Review · [2] ucanews.com · [3] The Daily Star · [4] The Federal · [6] Port Strategy · [7] RTV News · [8] The Daily Star