ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 presents the background and a brief history of the Chakmas from the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Bangladesh, the political history of the CHT region, and how Chakmas – along with 10 other Indigenous minorities – have been victims of political unrest and ongoing violence over many centuries, including the Mughal Empire, the British Empire, and Pakistan, before finally becoming a part of independent (and ‘post’-colonial) Bangladesh in 1971. It also introduces the importance of education as a source of empowerment specifically with reference to marginalised and oppressed subaltern communities. Bangladesh has about 1.2 million Indigenous people, which is just above 1% of its total population. Most of the 11 communities in the CHT live in rural areas where there are still no established schools. Although each of these communities has its own language until 2012, none of these were offered formal education. Despite this, compared to the other minority groups in the CHT, the Chakmas boast a 71% literacy rate, which is uncharacteristic when compared to other demographics elsewhere.
