The Bengali military violently assaulted Jumma citizens in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) on four separate occasions between August 1 and 11, with some of the attacks occurring after a peaceful demonstration of indigenous groups and ethnic minorities in Dhaka in celebration of World Indigenous People’s Day.
The Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) reported that the military was searching for "tribal terrorists" when invading homes on August 2 in the CHT. On false charges of "terrorist activities," the military arrested and tortured 11 individuals. Soldiers reportedly sexually harassed two women and stole items from villagers.
According to the Peace Campaign Group, on the night of August 6 the Bangladesh military raided the office of the indigenous political organization Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) in Khagrachari. The army unit destroyed furniture, trunks, and ventilators during their search for arms. Because no weapons were found, members of the PCJSS were tortured for over an hour and some were arrested.
Hundreds of indigenous and ethnic minorities came together on August 9 to protest against this type of discrimination and oppression in Bangladesh. Dressed in ethnic regalia, attendees demanded that the government protect their lands in the CHT from encroachment by non-indigenous settlers and implement the 1998 peace accords.
Fifty-year ole Debendra Saren told News from Bangledesh: "I don’t think that without struggle we will get anything. That’s why I have come here from a village in Naogaon. We demand nothing special and we just want to live like others." Demonstrators hoped that the rally would increase respect and awareness for the cultural diversity of Bangladesh.
But the protesters' pleas went unheeded. The HRCBM reported that two days later, on August 11, two Bengali military groups conducted operations in five indigenous villages of the CHT. The army surrounded and raided villagers' homes, and harassed and questioned indigenous family members concerning the whereabouts of local political activists belonging to the PCJSS.
