Army pullout in CHT, A future of hope and apprehension

Khamin looks at the state of affairs in the Chittagong Hill Tracts following the government’s decision to gradually withdraw the military forces based in the area

In 1982, Komol Bikash Chakma migrated to India with his entire family,

leaving behind all his property including his home and 40 acres of cultivatable land, in Dhiginala, Khagrachhari.

Almost inevitably, his land had been occupied by Bengali settlers with the alleged aid of the military personnel based in the area. Upon his repatriation in around 1999, Komol was embroiled in a legal battle to reclaim his land – parts of which he had reacquired, including his home, with the help of relevant authorities. However, during the tenure of the previous caretaker government, Komol was forcibly evicted from his home and had been homeless for quite a while.