Bangladesh Army Erects "No Entry" Signs Blocking Access to Indigenous Lands Won in Court

News ၊ November 13, 2026

Photo - ABN (Created By AI)

Local residents in Khagrachhari District, Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Bangladesh, have been deprived of their farming rights after the Bangladesh Army erected "No Entry" signs banning access to agricultural lands belonging to indigenous Chakma people, despite their ownership having already been confirmed by a court.

On November 10, approximately 20 soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Al Jabir Asif and Camp Commander Mohammad Mizan Mia arrived at farmlands owned by Jyotish Chandra Chakma and Sadhan Bhushan Chakma in Joysen Para Village, Mahalchhari Upazila. They erected prohibition signs declaring that no one would be allowed to enter until the land dispute is resolved.

Although the Khagrachhari Court had previously ruled in favor of the indigenous people, confirming their ownership of the lands, the military's restrictions have prevented the landowners from cultivating their own fields.

Regarding the incident, Maischhari Union Parishad Chairman Sajai Marma strongly criticized the military's interference and urged respect for court rulings as well as the traditional land ownership rights of indigenous people.

Meanwhile, local residents have alleged that the army commander accepted a bribe of 50,000 Taka from a Bengali settler named Mohammad Masud Master to block the indigenous people's access, though this claim has not yet been independently verified.

However, Lieutenant Colonel Asif responded to local media stating that the signs were erected solely to maintain security and peaceful coexistence between the indigenous people and Bengali settlers.

Joysen Para Village has long been an area frequently subjected to attacks and land disputes involving Bengali settlers.

On July 5, 2022, around 200 Bengali settlers burned down 37 indigenous homes and looted property in the village, leaving four local residents injured.

Furthermore, records indicate that in March 2026, when Hriday Chakma was rebuilding a house on his family-owned land, Bengali settlers obstructed and harassed him, with the military siding with and assisting the settlers.

Currently, indigenous residents warn that military interference and repeated land grabs are threatening their livelihoods and undermining peace in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, and they are demanding the enforcement of the court's ruling.

Source@ABN