Mahalchhari Correspondent, CHT News
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
The Bangladesh Army has posted a sign prohibiting public access to land owned by two Indigenous residents in Joysen Para, under Maischhari Union in Mahalchhari Upazila, Khagrachhari District. The move has raised concerns among local Indigenous residents, who fear it could be an attempt to take control of their land.
According to reports, at around 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, approximately 18–20 army personnel, led by Lieutenant Colonel Md. Al Jabir Asif, commander of Mahalchhari Army Zone, and Md. Mizan Mia, commander of the Joysen Para Temporary Operating Base (TOB), entered the land owned by Jyotish Chandra Chakma and Sadhan Bhushan Chakma. The land is reportedly registered in their names and has been under their possession.
The soldiers allegedly installed a signboard on the property without the owners’ consent. It reads: “Entry by the general public is prohibited until the land dispute is resolved by the court. By order of Mahalchhari Zone.”
Allegations have also emerged that the Mahalchhari Zone commander received a bribe of Tk 50,000 from a Bengali settler identified as Md. Masud Master, a resident of Joysen Para, in exchange for installing the signboard.
The incident has raised fears among the landowners and other Indigenous residents of the area that they may lose their land. It has also heightened concerns about their safety and security.
Local residents alleged that attempts to seize Indigenous-owned land have been continuing with the direct or indirect support of certain sections of the administration and other influential groups.
They said, “Today’s incident is another troubling example of the ongoing process of marginalization and displacement of Indigenous communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Such activities pose a serious obstacle to establishing lasting peace in the region.”
They further stated that the continued efforts to evict Indigenous people from their ancestral lands not only violate human rights but also show blatant disregard for the region’s legal system.
They called for the protection of Indigenous land rights and justice for those affected.
Background
On July 5, 2022, Bengali settlers allegedly set fire to 37 homes belonging to Indigenous residents in the same area, forcing them to leave. Local sources claimed that the attack took place with the assistance of the Bangladesh Army. The Army subsequently established a camp in the area and prevented Indigenous residents from returning to their land. As a result, they have been unable to access the property since then.
The Indigenous landowners later filed a case with the Khagrachhari District Court. The court reportedly ruled in their favor.
The landowners and local Indigenous residents alleged that even after the court’s ruling, the Army repeatedly sided with the settlers and prevented them from returning to the property to resume gardening and cultivation.
They said the installation of the “No Entry” signboard on Tuesday was the latest development in a series of actions aimed at preventing them from reclaiming and using their land.
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