Panchhari Correspondent, CHT News
Friday, June 12, 2026
Land disputes between security forces and indigenous
communities remain a persistent source of tension in the Chittagong Hill Tracts
(CHT), where residents have long raised concerns over the expansion of military
and paramilitary installations onto land traditionally owned and cultivated by
indigenous peoples. The latest such case has emerged in Panchhari Upazila of
Khagrachhari.
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) is constructing three
camps on land occupied and cultivated by local indigenous (Jumma) residents
along the border road in the upazila, according to local sources.
The camps are being established by BGB's Logang Zone
under 3 BGB, residents in the area said.
Landowners alleged that before construction began,
trees on their land were cut down and the ground was leveled with bulldozers
without any prior consultation. The move has sparked anger and concern among
residents living along the border.
According to local accounts, the land at
Khedarachhara, where one camp is being constructed, belongs to Jayanta Moni
Chakma, 35, son of Kattolya Chakma, a resident of Modhuram Para village in Ward
No. 5 of Logang Union, Panchhari Upazila.
A second site, at Dhudhukchhara, belongs to Debratan Chakma, 35, son of the late Dhanyamoni Chakma, a resident of North Dhudhukchhara village in Ward No. 2 of Logang Union, Panchhari Upazila.
The third site, in the Shilchhari (Trig Height) area,
belongs to Barnamoni Tripura, 25, son of Chan Mohan Tripura, a resident of
Shilchhari village in Ward No. 1 of Panchhari Union.
The landowners alleged that BGB authorities began
construction without their consent or prior notice. They claimed that valuable
teak trees and other crops on their land were cleared, while bulldozers were
used to cut into hillsides and level the ground for the camp structures.
Residents said the unannounced occupation of land for
the camps has fueled resentment throughout the border area, with many
expressing fear and uncertainty over the possible loss of their homes,
farmland, and ancestral lands.
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