Abuses in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (Copied from UN report about human right violence in Bangladesh)

 In the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), land conflicts and policies promoting the relocation of Bengalis from lowland areas to the CHT, often with the backing of the military, have marginalized local communities, sparking long-standing struggles. These communities are considered indigenous peoples by United Nations human rights mechanisms. 414 The Government of Bangladesh rejects the term indigenous and recognises these communities as ethnic minorities under the Constitution. A Peace Accord reached in 1997 was never fully implemented, and military presence and internal conflicts persist.415 In the days following the unrest, indigenous people encountered harassment from Bengalis, amid accusations of loyalty to the former Government. Tensions had been escalating since mid-July 2024, driven in part by protests over the quota system but also misinformation campaigns. These campaigns included a fabricated claim that a Bengali student had been denied admission in favour of an indigenous student, despite both actually being admitted. Such narratives fuelled hate speech and increased intimidation efforts by Bengali groups in CHT, some reportedly linked to the military. During the protests and also after 5 August, activism and graffiti campaigns in the CHT primarily focused on local issues, including demands for demilitarization. The military response centred around erasing the graffiti and detaining activists to suppress dissent.416 These actions further deterred the community from mobilizing more broadly, as fear of intensified crackdowns kept levels of participation low.417 According to witness testimonies, on 5 August, violence escalated in Bandarban, where indigenous and Bengali groups converged for protests. Some armed Bengali groups arrived by truck, attacked the residence of a local member of parliament and physically assaulted an indigenous community member