The Independent, 18 July 2002
from Our Correspondent
BARISAL, July 17 : The members of the Rakhain community are facing numerous problems. According to a source, the number of people belonging to Rakhain, an aboriginal community, is decreasing alarmingly in the coastal areas of Barisal region, including Kolapara, Khepupara, Amtoli and Kuakata.
The source disclosed that the members of the Rakhain community of Kuakata area are facing a lot of local problems. A large number of people of the community left the country during the last 30 years. The source added that according to the census of 1964, the number of Rakhain was 62,502 in Barisal region. But now the number is below 5,000.
Young Sing, president of Rakhain Buddhist Welfare Association of Patuakhali, told this correspondent recently that there are a total of 59 types of aboriginal communities all over the country. One of them is Rakhain. Rakhains came here from Arakan first in 1794. Fed up with the repression in Arakan, a total of 150 families first came at Char Kukri-Mukri by 50 boats. They started cultivating the jungle areas to maintain their families. But they began to face environmental problems.
The source said that there were 421 Rakhain villages in Barguna and Patuakhali districts under Barisal division in the year of 1947-48. But now there are only five villages. There were 390 Rakhain houses under nine villages at Baliatali area of Kolapaa during the time but now there is only one village with 11 houses. During the period from 1960 to 1969 there were only one house of Bengali in Taltoli area under Amtoli thana. Rakhains dominated the area. But there are now one two Rakhain families in the same area.
Eyo Shu Eay, another leader of the Rakhain community in the area, told this correspondent that the Rakhains are mainly peace-loving people. A group of land grabbers with the help of a section of officials of the Land department and local administration first hatched conspiracy to wreck peace of Rakhains. "We did not get justice from any corner during the last 200 years," he added with a husky voice.
Eyo Shu Eya said that no government trusted them despite their contributions to the development of the country for reasons not known. He said that laws were being framed for the preservation of the Royal Bengal Tigers but their legitimate causes were being ignored.
It is learnt that about 5,000 Rakhains are passing through a trying time at 30 villages in Barisal region. If the government fails to take any step for the safety of the Rakhain community, after 10 years this community will extinct totally from the region.
The source said that, land owners, extortionists and land grabbers are doing everything to disturb peace of the members of the community. They loot crops from their lands every year. Some cultivate crops in the lands of the Rakhains forcibly. Police and local administration always avoid their problems. As a result, a large number of Rakhains are leaving the country due to absence of social security, the source added.