NGOs leave out Bangalees in the cold in CHT
News Desk
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and international organisations operating in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) are overlooking the region’s Bangalee population and involved in religious conversion activities, claim intelligence sources.
A total of 43 NGOs and international organisations are working in the three hill districts of Bandarban, Khagrachhari and Rangamati where the Banglaees are the majority though they are poor compared to the ethnic minorities.
Of those, 27 are providing significantly less service to the Bangalees, who account for 51% of the total population in the CHT.
The sources said a section of NGOs is involved in converting hill people, mainly tribes, to Christianity in the name of project implementation.
A total of 5,667 hill people got converted from 1998 to date, they said.
The NGOs reportedly succeeded in converting a total of 4,655 underprivileged and disadvantaged people to Christianity, said the intelligence sources.
Of the 5,667converted people, some 1,775 belong to the Chakma community, 812 Marma, 1,205 Tripura, 349 Tanchangya, 699 Murong, 11 Khyang, 88 Khumi, 17 Shaotal and 710 Bangalee while one is from another community.
Recently, a Christian missionary group from Bethlehem AG Church, led by Alfred Ashish Odikari, distributed Bibles among the flood-affected people along with relief materials in the CHT, according to the sources.
A large portion of the funds of the NGO projects is spent on executing ‘intentional’ activities, the intelligence sources said, adding that the NGOs are working as a medium to negatively present the internal matter of the hilly areas to the world.
The sources said a conspiracy is being hatched to make a ‘religious separatist group’ in the CHT.
World Vision Bangladesh, Karitas, Agape Social Concern (Compassion International Bangladesh), OPCA (Organisation for the Poor Communities Advancement), The Leprosy Mission International Bangladesh, Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh (CCDB), ASIA (Association for International Solidarity in Asia), Humanitarian Foundation, Reproductive Health Services Training and Education Program, Bolipara Nari Kalyan Samity, Bureau Bangladesh, Trinamul Unnayan Sangstha, ALO (Assistance for the Livelihood of the Origins), Uddipan, Kabidang, Khagrapur Mahila Samity, Lon, Grameen Unnayan Sangathon, Noakhali Rural Development Society, Jum Foundation, Taungya and Young Women’s Christian Association of Khagrachhari are among the national and international NGOs that are fuelling discrimination against the Banglalees.
The number of beneficiaries from the ethnic minority communities is 98,062 while that of Bangalees is 54,801 despite being the majority in the region.
Of those, Taungya is running a project titled ‘Partnership for Resilient Livelihood in CHT Region’ involving Tk4.80 crore at Jurachari in Rangamati. It has provided services to 1,541 ethnic minority community members, but not a single Bangalee.
Agape Social Concern is running a Tk1.89 crore project on child development, education and poverty reduction. It has provided services to 544 ethnic minority community members against 63 Bangalees.
World Vision is running a project worth Tk11 crore in Bandarban Sadar upazila. The project comprises health, nutrition, child protection and safety. It has provided services to 31,235 ethnic minority community members while the number of Bangalee beneficiaries is 19,970.
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Contacted, Stphan Haider Ruven, senior manager of Chattogram Area Coordination Office of the World Vision, told the Daily Sun that the project is being implemented as per the advice of donors.
Moyeenul Islam, director (Project-1), of the NGO Affairs Bureau, told the Daily Sun that the NGOs run activities upon the demand and approval of the NGO authorities and their donors.
The NGO Affairs Bureau just gives permission to the NGOs to run activities, he said, adding that there is a law on providing services.
-Daily Sun.