Economic Situation of Indigenous People in Bangladesh: A study on the Chittagong Hill Tracts

Abstract: The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh was full of natural resources like water, river, forest, agriculture, land. Various agencies like government and non-government (local, national, and international) have undertaken and implemented development programs in the CHT at different times encompassing those natural resources to develop the CHT economy and contribute to the overall economic situation. Even though, the economic situation of the indigenous people in CHT remains unchanged and more than eight hundred thousand indigenous people in CHT are presently living with an imbalanced economy; poverty and hunger, low income, unemployment. A political agreement and the peace treaty has been signed in 1997 to end human life, restore the CHT indigenous people’s economy as well as establish peace in CHT. This study has collected both qualitative and quantitative data from primary and secondary sources to see and analyze the present economic situation of the indigenous people in CHT after this peace accord. The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh was full of natural resources like water, river, forest, agriculture, land. Various agencies like government and non-government (local, national, and international) have undertaken and implemented development programs in the CHT at different times encompassing those natural resources to develop the CHT economy and contribute to the overall economic situation. Even though, the economic situation of the indigenous people in CHT remains unchanged and more than eight hundred thousand indigenous people in CHT are presently living with an imbalanced economy; poverty and hunger, low income, unemployment. A political agreement and the peace treaty has been signed in 1997 to end human life, restore the CHT indigenous people’s economy as well as establish peace in CHT. This study has collected both qualitative and quantitative data from primary and secondary sources to see and analyze the present economic situation of the indigenous people in CHT after this peace accord.