JBS Vol 15. Num 1. 2013 - Dynamics of Survival Strategies: Perspectives from the Indigenous People of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh

The indigenous people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) have routinely faced various intruders such as the Mughals, British, Pakistanis and Bengalis. The situation has worsened with a state-sponsored and military-assisted transmigration program that began in 1979. With the apparent connivance of the security forces of Bangladesh, Bengali settlers have forcibly displaced many indigenous peoples from their homes and lands. Two decades earlier, these indigenous peoples had been displaced by the construction of Kaptai hydroelectric dam. Already in duress because of land scarcity, they faced survival problems because of the presence of Bengali settlers. Under the circumstances, they employ diverse strategies to manage survival in their own land. The present paper is an effort to offer insights into the dynamics of the survival strategies of the indigenous people of CHT