International Mountain Day 2016
Published: 12:00 AM, 11 December 2016
Indigenous communities of Chittagong Hill tracts
In Bangladesh there are 35 indigenous communities (according to Bangladesh Adivasi Forum). On the other hand according to the government statistics the number of indigenous people is 12, 05,978 which is 1.3 percent of total population.
However the comparison is not the concern focus of my writing I intend to focus on the uniqueness of different ethnic communities. Mostly the Indigenous communities in Bangladesh usually earn their income from regular agriculture.
The Indigenous communities of Bangladesh have their distinctive ways of living, but the Indigenous communities living in Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT) are more distinctive than the other to their own living culture, and they live more closely to the natural contact for their livelihood and housing than the other communities in Bangladesh.
The Hill Tract Indigenous communities are ethnically different from the settled populaces in Bangladesh. They have closer links with Indigenous of the vast region that extends from Tibet to Indo-China. They are short in stature, have black hair, prominent check-bones and narrow eyes, features like these are generally known as typical to the mongoloid type.
In most cases Ethnic communities live in remote and inaccessible geographical areas that are isolated from the mainstream locality of the country. In addition population density of ethnic community is high in Chittagonj Hill Tracts (CHT). According to the Bangladesh Statistical Year Book 2002:33 the indigenous people live in CHT are: Bawm, Chak, Chakma, Khyang, Khumi, Lushai Marma, Mro, Pangkhoa, Tanchangya, Rakhaine and Tripura (Chakma 2007).
In this article I would like to focus one of the tiny ethnic communities - Bawm. The Bawms are a tiny ethnic community living in the CHT. They are called in different name by different authors like Boun-jus and Bounjwes (Phayre 1845); Banjugee (Macrea 1801); Banjogis or Banjugie (Barbe); Banjoos (Barbe 1845); Banzu (Buchanan 1798); Bawm, Bawm-Zo (Lorrain 1940); Bom-zou (Loffler 1949); Bonzogi and Bom (Sopher 1964); Bom-Laejo and Bom (Bernots); Bawm (Wolfgang Mey 1960) etc. (Bawm Literature Forum2004). The word Bawm means bondage or tie.
Habitation and Population
The Bawms live in Bandarban and Rangamati. In Bandarban they live in Ruma, Thanchi, Roangchari, and Sadar upazillas and in Bilaichari of Rangamati. According to the census of 1991 the figure of Bawm population in Bangladesh is 6978 and the family size is 1349 (Bawm 2007; Banglapedia 2008). The actual number of Bawm is over 20,000 (twenty thousand) at present, according to census taken by the Bawm Social Council in 1998 (Bawm Literature Forum 2004).
Food Habit
Bawms people like to have fish and meat with rice in their daily life. They used to cook various types of curry. There are many types of fruits that they have, Pineapple, mango, banana, papaya, apricot etc. are the most common. The most delectable food item in the hilly area is the young shoot of bamboo plants. In addition young pulp of wild palm tree, young pulp of cane, the spathe of a banana tree before shooting from the stem and the care of the banana are some of their dishes.
Social structure
Bawm society is patriarchal (Father is the head of the family and the children carry down the father's family lineage). A social infrastructure regulates their code of conduct and dictates the mode of arbitration when settling up social problems.
Marriage
Bawms are very rich in culture. This society does gala ceremony in their marriage. When a man reaches marriageable age, he is permitted to know his parents about his intention of getting married by someone else even if he feels shy to approach his parents directly. The parents then visit the residence of chosen bride with a marriage proposal. Wine is the common item in all marriage ceremony.
Rituals
Usually Bawm community celebrates the New Yeasi Eve, New Year and Nobanya since the ancient time. Nowadays, they celebrate all the religious festive followed by the Christians. So Christmas is their main festival. Before accepting Christianity, they had been using their traditional culture. Recently, the young generation has renewed their traditional culture. They are trying to preserve it as it is the most relevant identity of this community.
So, the Bawm people are aware of their traditional culture and trying to modify it. They have traditional songs and dances which are being used occasionally since ancient time. Bamboo dance is a significant element in Bawm culture. In case of tragedy in the family (an Unnatural death) they performed it. Through this dance Bawms console their families.
Language
The Bawm community has their own original language. The individual people of Bawm community can speak, read and write their own mother tongue in their script (Bawm Literature Forum 2004). In 1952, a primary book was founded by Mr. L.Dolian. Recently the book has developed as well as published in Bangla version by Tribal Cultural Institute. Nowadays they have started using Roman alphabet. The Bawm people do not use their language only in their community. In India the people of various areas of Mijoram states and in Myanmar the people of Clun Hill also use the same language as the Bawms.
Religion
Christian missionaries are increasing number among Bawms since the middle of the 19th century (Khan 2008, Banglapedia). Since1918 the Bawms has accepted Christianity. All of the Bwams are Christians now. They are animists and they are very strong in their beliefs.
Dress
Bawms weave their own cloths by waist loom and wear their own traditional cloths. Bawm girls wear Karchai (like a shirt) and tie a piece of cloth on the chest. Women wear Nufen, worn from waist to knee (a decorated dress made of thick cloth). Men wear laikor and rentak (made of waist loom).
Economic Condition
Their main economic stability depends on Jhum cultivation. On the slopes of hills, they have particular method of practicing Jhum cultivation. In Jhum they produce rice, maize, pepper, beans, kakrol, turmeric, ginger, marfa, cucumber and similar other vegetables. They also produce pineapple, banana, papaya, almond, esculent root, arum, orange etc. Conversion to the Christianity not only brought a big change in their life style, but also affected their profession during uptake of economic careers.
The writer is freelance consultant on mother Tongue based multilingual education for ethnic children
However the comparison is not the concern focus of my writing I intend to focus on the uniqueness of different ethnic communities. Mostly the Indigenous communities in Bangladesh usually earn their income from regular agriculture.
The Indigenous communities of Bangladesh have their distinctive ways of living, but the Indigenous communities living in Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT) are more distinctive than the other to their own living culture, and they live more closely to the natural contact for their livelihood and housing than the other communities in Bangladesh.
The Hill Tract Indigenous communities are ethnically different from the settled populaces in Bangladesh. They have closer links with Indigenous of the vast region that extends from Tibet to Indo-China. They are short in stature, have black hair, prominent check-bones and narrow eyes, features like these are generally known as typical to the mongoloid type.
In most cases Ethnic communities live in remote and inaccessible geographical areas that are isolated from the mainstream locality of the country. In addition population density of ethnic community is high in Chittagonj Hill Tracts (CHT). According to the Bangladesh Statistical Year Book 2002:33 the indigenous people live in CHT are: Bawm, Chak, Chakma, Khyang, Khumi, Lushai Marma, Mro, Pangkhoa, Tanchangya, Rakhaine and Tripura (Chakma 2007).
In this article I would like to focus one of the tiny ethnic communities - Bawm. The Bawms are a tiny ethnic community living in the CHT. They are called in different name by different authors like Boun-jus and Bounjwes (Phayre 1845); Banjugee (Macrea 1801); Banjogis or Banjugie (Barbe); Banjoos (Barbe 1845); Banzu (Buchanan 1798); Bawm, Bawm-Zo (Lorrain 1940); Bom-zou (Loffler 1949); Bonzogi and Bom (Sopher 1964); Bom-Laejo and Bom (Bernots); Bawm (Wolfgang Mey 1960) etc. (Bawm Literature Forum2004). The word Bawm means bondage or tie.
Habitation and Population
The Bawms live in Bandarban and Rangamati. In Bandarban they live in Ruma, Thanchi, Roangchari, and Sadar upazillas and in Bilaichari of Rangamati. According to the census of 1991 the figure of Bawm population in Bangladesh is 6978 and the family size is 1349 (Bawm 2007; Banglapedia 2008). The actual number of Bawm is over 20,000 (twenty thousand) at present, according to census taken by the Bawm Social Council in 1998 (Bawm Literature Forum 2004).
Food Habit
Bawms people like to have fish and meat with rice in their daily life. They used to cook various types of curry. There are many types of fruits that they have, Pineapple, mango, banana, papaya, apricot etc. are the most common. The most delectable food item in the hilly area is the young shoot of bamboo plants. In addition young pulp of wild palm tree, young pulp of cane, the spathe of a banana tree before shooting from the stem and the care of the banana are some of their dishes.
Social structure
Bawm society is patriarchal (Father is the head of the family and the children carry down the father's family lineage). A social infrastructure regulates their code of conduct and dictates the mode of arbitration when settling up social problems.
Marriage
Bawms are very rich in culture. This society does gala ceremony in their marriage. When a man reaches marriageable age, he is permitted to know his parents about his intention of getting married by someone else even if he feels shy to approach his parents directly. The parents then visit the residence of chosen bride with a marriage proposal. Wine is the common item in all marriage ceremony.
Rituals
Usually Bawm community celebrates the New Yeasi Eve, New Year and Nobanya since the ancient time. Nowadays, they celebrate all the religious festive followed by the Christians. So Christmas is their main festival. Before accepting Christianity, they had been using their traditional culture. Recently, the young generation has renewed their traditional culture. They are trying to preserve it as it is the most relevant identity of this community.
So, the Bawm people are aware of their traditional culture and trying to modify it. They have traditional songs and dances which are being used occasionally since ancient time. Bamboo dance is a significant element in Bawm culture. In case of tragedy in the family (an Unnatural death) they performed it. Through this dance Bawms console their families.
Language
The Bawm community has their own original language. The individual people of Bawm community can speak, read and write their own mother tongue in their script (Bawm Literature Forum 2004). In 1952, a primary book was founded by Mr. L.Dolian. Recently the book has developed as well as published in Bangla version by Tribal Cultural Institute. Nowadays they have started using Roman alphabet. The Bawm people do not use their language only in their community. In India the people of various areas of Mijoram states and in Myanmar the people of Clun Hill also use the same language as the Bawms.
Religion
Christian missionaries are increasing number among Bawms since the middle of the 19th century (Khan 2008, Banglapedia). Since1918 the Bawms has accepted Christianity. All of the Bwams are Christians now. They are animists and they are very strong in their beliefs.
Dress
Bawms weave their own cloths by waist loom and wear their own traditional cloths. Bawm girls wear Karchai (like a shirt) and tie a piece of cloth on the chest. Women wear Nufen, worn from waist to knee (a decorated dress made of thick cloth). Men wear laikor and rentak (made of waist loom).
Economic Condition
Their main economic stability depends on Jhum cultivation. On the slopes of hills, they have particular method of practicing Jhum cultivation. In Jhum they produce rice, maize, pepper, beans, kakrol, turmeric, ginger, marfa, cucumber and similar other vegetables. They also produce pineapple, banana, papaya, almond, esculent root, arum, orange etc. Conversion to the Christianity not only brought a big change in their life style, but also affected their profession during uptake of economic careers.
The writer is freelance consultant on mother Tongue based multilingual education for ethnic children
