Systematic Land Grabs Threaten Rakhine Heritage in Southern Bangladesh
In the coastal districts of Barguna and Patuakhali, the
Indigenous Rakhine people, who have inhabited the region for over 250 years,
are facing a profound crisis as their land, heritage, and sacred sites are
systematically eroded. Having transformed inhospitable terrain into fertile
land, the Rakhine now confront widespread encroachment, forced land grabs, and
state-backed development projects that threaten their cultural identity.
The Rakhine’s settlements, Buddhist monasteries, and
cremation grounds are under siege. Homes are being demolished or seized,
historic temple lands are repurposed for infrastructure, and sacred cremation
sites are being bulldozed or built over. Of the 22 cremation grounds once
serving Rakhine villages, 12 have been entirely lost, with others significantly
reduced. For instance, in Laupara village, a cremation ground shrank from 150
decimals (approximately 1.5 acres) to 60 decimals after government resettlement
housing was constructed on the site. Similarly, the Kuakata Sreemangal Buddhist
Monastery, established in 1784, has seen its land dwindle from 250 decimals to
just 65 due to road construction and claims by the Water Development Board,
despite a High Court stay order protecting it.
The absence of proper legal documentation leaves
ancestral lands vulnerable, as much of the property is state-owned but
designated for cultural and religious use, which should require community
consent for transfer. However, weak enforcement and legal loopholes enable
ongoing encroachments. Local officials often cite a lack of formal complaints
as a barrier to action, leaving the Rakhine powerless as their heritage
vanishes.
This loss extends beyond physical land to the erosion of
Rakhine identity, threatening their language, traditions, and history.
Community elders warn that without urgent intervention, the Rakhine’s
centuries-old cultural legacy in Bangladesh faces extinction.
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