Different Tribals in Bangladesh

The Chakmas

 

The Chakmas are the largest tribe of Bangladesh. The Chakmas are of mixed origin but reflect more Bengali influence than any other tribe. The Chakmas generally lived in the highland valleys. Most Chakmas are Buddhists, but some practice Hinduism or animism.

The Chakmas ( Chakma or ), also known as the Changma (চাংমা), are a community that inhabits the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh and the North-East India. The Chakmas are the largest ethnic group in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, making up more than half the tribal population. Chakmas are divided into 46 clans or Gozas. The Chakma has their own language, custom, culture, and profess Theravada Buddhism. The chakmas are so good in heritage and culture and found mostly in India and Bangladesh and have their own script.and some chakmas population are inhabiting in china and Burma(mayanmar) and also in Thailand.

 

The Tripura

The Tripura are one of the Indingenous Peoples living both in the plain land and the CHT in Bangladesh. during the partition of the India subcontinent the princely state of Tripura were not marged neither in India nor Pakistan. However, Tripura Kingdom were marged in 1949 with the India through the Marger agreement. The peoples of Tripura both Bangladehs and Indian Tripura State shared common culture, history, tradition, history and way of livelihoods. their languages are called Kokborok. there are more than one million peoples are speak this languages.

The Tanchangya

The Tanchangya (তঞ্চংগ্যা) people are an indigenous people in southeastern Bangladesh. There are 13 indigenous ethnic communities living in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) among the 45 ethnic communities in Bangladesh. ‘Tanchangya’ is the one of them. The word “Tong” means Hill and “Taugya” means Jhum (Hilltop Sweden cultivation). So, the word Tanchangya means Hill Sweden farmer. Arakanese Tanchangyas are also known as “Doingnak”. Tanchangyas are the 5th largest indigenous ethnic community in CHT. There are many peoples who imaging that Tanchangya are the sub-tribe of Chakma community. In 1869 DC of CHT Mr. Lewin renamed Tanchangyas as the sub-tribe of Chakma and he wrote spelling “Toungjynya”. The Tanchangya living in the present Cox’s Bazar district are identified as Chakma. They call themselves as Chakma and their Bengalee neighbors also know them as Chakma. But for many specific characteristics Tanchangya community became as one of the separate ethnic community and after a long term continuous demand for separate identity of Tanchangyas community the Govt. recognized Tanchangyas as a separate community in 1989 (Rupayan Dewan; Jhum). Anthropologically Tanchangya belong to the Mongoloid group.

Tanchangya peoples have been living in CHT since its prehistoric age. Nowadays Tanchangya peoples live in Rangamati, Bandarban, Roisyabili & Sadhikyabili (Chittagong district), Ukhia and Teknaf (Cox’s bazaar district) areas of the Bangladesh. Tanchangyas also live in North-east Indian states (Assam, Tripura and Mizoram) and Rakhine State of the Myanmar. Most of Tanchangyas live in reserve forest of CHT but in 10 April’2000 Govt declared new Forest law named “The forest (Amendment) Act; 2000”, according to this act “Cultivation & preparation of cultivation on reserve forest land are illegal. The survival of these areas peoples becomes difficult for this act.

There are also confusion about the numbers and spelling of Tanchangyas. This is because of the ignorance and shallow knowledge of writers and researchers. So, it is very difficult to examine exact numbers and spelling of Tanchangyas. According to census of 2001 the number of Tanchangya 31,164 in CHT (source: solidarity2002, Bangladesh Adivasi Forum).

Tanchangya community consists of about 12 Gasha (W.W. Hunter wrote: Goza or clan). But in Bangladesh there are seven Gosha. These are (1) Karua Gosha (2) Dunya Gosha (3) Mou Gosha (4) Mongla Gosha (5) Lambacha Gosha (6) Millong Gosha (7) Ongya Gosha (Hunter; 1876). Tanchangyas communicate each other by using their own language. Where as Tanchangya language consists of Pali, Prakrit and ancient Bengali. And Tanchangys also has their own alphabets.

 

The Mros (Mrus or Moorangs)

The Mros are considered the original inhabitants of the Chittagong Hills. They lived on valleys and often fortified their villages. They had no written language of their own, but some could read the Burmese and Bangla scripts. Most of them claimed to be Buddhists, but their religious practices were largely animistic.

The Marmas (or Maghs)

 

The Marmas are of Burmese (Myanmar) ancestry. The Marmas regarded Burma (Myanmar) as the center of their cultural life. Members of the Marma tribe dislike the more widely used term Maghs, which had come to mean pirates. The Marmas also live in the highland valleys. Although several religions, including Islam, are represented among the Marmas, nearly all of the Marmas are Buddhists.