CHT violence leaves ‘308 civilians’ dead in five years: home minister

Armed violence in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) has killed 308 civilians and injured 435 others over the past five years, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has told parliament.

Presenting casualty figures on behalf of the defence ministry on Wednesday, he said eight members of the security forces were killed and 55 wounded in assaults mounted by armed groups over the same period.

The disclosure came in response to a query from SA Jinnah Kabir, a BNP lawmaker representing the Manikganj-1 constituency.

Raising the issue, Jinnah said that armed elements in Rangamati, Khagrachhari, and Bandarban continue to target both the army and local residents, while engaging in widespread extortion and land-grabbing.

He alleged that a conspiracy was under way to sever the three CHT districts from Bangladesh, driven by "provocation from a neighbouring country".

The lawmaker asked whether the government intended to form a joint special task force, launch targeted operations, or initiate bespoke security measures to protect the nation's territorial integrity.

Addressing his queries on the volume of armed assaults and casualties, the minister outlined that the region had witnessed 194 attacks targeting Bengali residents and 81 targeting ethnic minority communities over the last five years.

During this timeframe, the three hill districts recorded 297 abductions, 471 incidents of extortion, and 377 cases involving the deployment of illegal firearms.

Armed groups carried out 97 attacks against security forces, culminating in the reported civilian and military casualties.

Salahuddin also outlined several countermeasures and initiatives undertaken by the government to curb militant operations and restore stability across the Chittagong Hill Tracts.