Another instance of restriction of religious freedom in CHT

As expansion of illegal Bengali settlement continues in Maischari under Khagrachari district, the Upazilla Nirbahi Officer of Mahalchari, Md. Abdul Matin has issued a public notice prohibiting construction of new religious institutions without prior permission of the authorities concerned.

The notice, issued on 12 September 2007 against the backdrop of a failed attempt to capture the land of Sadhana Tila Ban Vihara in Babuchara, did not mention what prompted the UNO to issue it. Neither did it specify under which authority the notice has been issued.

Although the prohibitory measure is applicable to all the three major religious places of worship in CHT such as Hindu's Mondir, Muslim's Masjid and Buddhist's Kiyang, the objective of the issuance of the notice becomes clear once the recent policy of land aggression of the government is taken into account. And it is to restrict the practice of religions other than Islam and to facilitate further expansion of illegal Bengali settlement in CHT and particularly in Mahalchari.

The notice, a copy of which has been made available to the HWHRF, also violates the article 41 of the constitution of Bangladesh. It reads: Subject to law, public order and morality (a) every citizen has the right to profess, practise or propagate any religion; (b) every religious community or denomination has the right to establish, maintain and manage its religious institutions.

No such notice has been issued in other places of CHT. This also makes the design of the civil administration clear.

In the last few months, the military has brought in hundreds of settler families in Dadkuppya under Mahalchari Thana and settled them on Jumma villagers' lands.

News By Hill Watch Human Rights Forum NEWS No. 40/2007, September28, 2007