Livelihoods of ethnic minorities hit hard

Ethnic minorities, whose houses were set ablaze by Bengali settlers at Langadu in Rangamti on June 2, are still finding it hard to lead a normal life as fear for potential attacks grips their lives. 
The administration provided no support to the victims inside 10 days of the arson as officials concerned said that they were yet to get allocations from the government through proper channel.
Arson victim Sudipta Chakma, a resident of Tintila, who used to live on fishing, jhum farming and bamboo shoots collection, was found at Langadu Bana Bihar, a temple used as makeshift shelter for the arson victims, on June 8.
She said that she returned to Langadu after passing six days in deep forest in hills hoping that the life would be normal, but found that the situation was still tense.
‘I used to earn livelihood selling fish and bamboo shoots at Langadu bazaar, but I cannot go to the bazaar now,’ Sudipta said.
Carpenter Sushanta Chakma, whose house was
also burnt in the arson attack, said he had no work now.
‘Being indigenous, we have no work now. We cannot move freely, cannot go to bazaar as anything can happen. They [Bengalis] are still furious,’ he said.
Sangkalpa Chakma, who has completed his higher secondary and planning to go to Dhaka for preparation for university admission, said his books were burnt inside their house in the arson.
He said that his parents had arranged Tk 12,000 for sending him to Dhaka, but those were burnt as well.
‘The arson attack halted my university admission preparation,’ Sangkalpa said.
Atrakchhara union parishad chairman Mongal Kanti Chakma, whose two houses were burnt in the arson, said that some of the victims, who returned to the locality, could not go to work fearing trouble.
He said those who took shelter at makeshift shelters were living inhumanly.
They now live on relatives and community support of foods, he said. 
The Bana Bihar, a temple at Langadu, accommodated some 100 arson victims, who slept on the floor at in a corrugated iron sheet-roofed house.
‘It turns congested, but we have to manage the room,’ said Newton Chakma.
‘We cannot eat thrice a day,’ he said.
Mainimukh union parshad chairman Mohammad Hossain, a Bengali, admitted that the life of the national minorities became difficult following the arson.
‘They usually live on fishing, jhum farming and collection of bamboo shoots, pineapples and banana, but they cannot go work now,’ he said.
‘It [arson attack] ruins the life of ethnic minority people,’ he said.
Langadu upazila nirbahi officer Tajul Islam admitted that the livelihood of the national minorities was affected following the arson attack.
‘They cannot do their work now and are depending on relatives and community support for living,’ he said.
Asked about government measure for the victims, he said that no government allocations had reached them so far for rehabilitation of the affected ethnic minority people or for compensation.
‘We have prepared a list of 212 affected families, but no allocation has been made yet for them,’ Tajul said.
He said it would take few more days to get the allocation through proper channel. 

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net