Political Economy of Destruction of Disaster Hill

More than 160 people were killed in Rangamati, Khagrachari, Bandarban and Chittagong districts during the month of June 2017. Of these, only 120 people were killed in the Rangamati (Daily Star, 5 August, 2017). There are four army soldiers living in the list of killed people and Bengali and rescued people. More than 500 people were injured. More than 20,000 people of mountainous and Bengali population have been affected, damaged, temporary refugees and homeless. Road communication, electricity connections between the three Hill districts and the entire country were separated for a few days due to the horrific incident.
The reason for such a big disaster is simply natural? No, it is a man-made disaster, and behind it is the 'ideological aspect of the ruling class and the ruling party' and 'democratic politics' and the occupation of hills and hand distribution is the business of Ramrama. The power structure created in the hill areas through the desire of prestige and supremacy, money and muscularity, greed and super-profit, is within the political economy of 'hill and hill'.
The reasons for the hills are: one. Build hazardous habitats on the foothills of the hill and cut hills and construct housing projects and public-private offices; Two Deforestation and lack of planned forestry; Cutting the trees of trees and destroying the balance on the hills, do not fall into the hills; Three Balance of sand in the mountains and weakness in the removal of sand and soil from the hills on heavy or heavy rain and heavy rain; Four. In the last 30 years, the rainfall increased by 8 percent and the lack of drainage system from the hills; Five Due to the use of oily medicines in unplanned zoom cultivation, the soil of the soil becomes weak.
According to a joint study of Water Development Board of Water Development Board Center for Environment and Geographic Information Service (CEEGIS) and International Organization of Water Aid Bangladesh, "In the last one era, three types of forest areas have reduced to 3,62,36 hectares of different types of forest land."
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization report, "Bangladesh's forest department is mainly responsible for the destruction or decrease of forest land for the hills of Chittagong. In the Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban districts, 27.52 percent natural forests have been destroyed between 2003 and 2015. In addition, 61 percent of the mountainous fountains have dried. As a result, the clay clay was becoming more and more risky. The mountains have become more vulnerable. "(Prothom Alo, 17-18 June, 2017)
The forest has been cut down by the forest. Landfords and forests of Bankhhekora-forest-Khalibal-village-populace-farmland are all in a hurry. The hills are leased in different ways in the public and private sectors. Banana gardens, rubber garden chickens are being leased for cultivation. The leased wealthy and influential people are making many installations, including the construction of houses, without accepting the terms of the agreement. So far, a total of 40 thousand 77 acres of land has been leased for rubber plots and horticulture plots in Bandarban Sadar, Lama, Alikadam and Naikhongchanchi Upazilas.
In the last six years, 64 percent of Bengali people (Prothom-alo, 16 June, 2017) of the number of people killed in the hills. During the period of General Ziaur Rahman, nearly four lakhs of poor and helpless people from different parts of the country were rehabilitated in the hill district. Long term plans were not taken for life and livelihood of those people in river erosion and poor areas.
Since then, the process of moving Bengalis from various districts of Bangladesh to different walks of the country and settling them there is continuing. Rohingya refugees started coming out of it, at least 30 thousand of them on three hills.
There is a science of living in the mountains, there is a culture, there is spiritual understanding with the mountains. The knowledge of the people who have long experience for living in the mountains is not necessary, the plain Bengalis. They built houses on the foothills and without understanding the location of the equator, cut the mountain. On the other hand, the hilly areas are on the top of the hill or on the houses, the houses are bamboo moufang houses. Floor is above the ground, adapted to the tradition. Adopt it with the features of the mountain.
With the original population, the settlers from outside the hill were engaged in disputes over land issues including land acquisition. There is a difference in the land rights of the hill tribes with land management. Under the three circles of Hill District, Headman and Karbera work in the management. But in the last 30 years, the land under the Hill Tracts was reduced by 51 percent. In the last 64 years, 2 lakh 2 thousand 164 acres of land of ten small ethnic groups have been taken away. (June 26, 2007, Deutsche Welle)
Mismanagement of government forestry, land survey and distribution of property; National park or national park; Establishment of tourist center and eco parks; The land of the hill by taking the so-called development projects and setting up power plants, misusing enemy property law, creating fake land documents, spreading rumors and rioting, forced eviction, threatening, housing companies or commercial establishments. Being evicted in different ways. In the Chittagong Hill Tracts in 1960, the ratio of hill-Bengal was 91: 9, or 59:41 in 2011, according to the census, according to the ratio reached 51: 49. The hills have lost land, forests, and the Bengalis of one class have occupied it with the help of administration.
To stop the hillside andAnd the issues that should be taken seriously considering the rights of the hill tracts are: One. To stop the settlement of new Bengali settlements; Two To take legal action against the hill captors and to take strict punishments against people involved in illegal cutting; Three Stop leasing hills; Four. Forestry on the hill; Five Construction of guide wall in sloping hills and making drainage drains and strong borders; Six. Arrangement of removal of mountain water and sand; Seven Do not allow any brick kiln between 10 kilometer area and prohibit the establishment of new housing within 5 kilometer; Eight As far as prohibiting the withdrawal of mountainous sand; Not. Ban on the foot of the risky hill; Ten. If the hills are standing in the mountains, then normal banyanis can not be planted in the hills; Eleven Closing the tree cutting trees arbitrarily; Twelve To take environment friendly strategies on important issues such as life-long living and biodiversity of agriculture; Thirteen To settle and settle the cultivation of Bengalis in hill-based ways; Fourteen If Zoom is harmful for the nature and environment of the cultivation, if it is harmful, and to make alternative employment opportunities for the farmers related to it, and to adopt an integrated short, medium and long-term plan to stop the hillside.
Robayet Ferdous: Professor, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, University of Dhaka.