Bangladesh is home to more than 54 Indigenous groups, including the Chakma. Marma, and Tripura, with most living in the northern and southeastern flatlands, and the rest in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. They have distinct lifestyles, economic practices, and belief systems. These groups speak at least 35 distinct languages, adding to the country’s cultural richness. However, many of these languages are endangered, as the dominance of Bangla and modern societal pressures push them towards extinction, a global issue known as “language death.” The UN warns that many Indigenous languages are disappearing, with one dying every two weeks.

During the British colonial rule, indigenous communities played a significant role in resisting oppression. Leaders like Sidhu and Kanu led uprisings, such as the Santhal Rebellion, highlighting their contributions to the anti-colonial struggle. Despite this legacy, Indigenous people in Bangladesh today face challenges in preserving their languages and culture. The government’s efforts to include Indigenous languages in preschool education face hurdles like a lack of trained teachers and resources for higher education.

Additionally, the 1957 construction of the Kaptai Dam, funded by USAID and built by the Pakistani government, displaced thousands of people in the hill tracts, submerging their homes and farmlands under the Karnaphuli River, disrupting their livelihoods and cultural connections to the land. This history of displacement and ongoing marginalization continues to affect indigenous communities in Bangladesh.

Bangla Translation: বাংলাদেশে ৫৪টিরও বেশি আদিবাসী গোষ্ঠীর বসবাস, যার মধ্যে চাকমা, মারমা এবং ত্রিপুরা অন্যতম। এদের বেশিরভাগই দেশের উত্তর ও দক্ষিণ–পূর্ব সমতলভূমিতে বসবাস করে, আর বাকিরা চট্টগ্রাম পার্বত্য অঞ্চলে। এদের জীবনযাপন, অর্থনৈতিক কার্যক্রম ও বিশ্বাসের ধরন একেবারেই স্বতন্ত্র। এসব গোষ্ঠী অন্তত ৩৫টি ভিন্ন ভাষায় কথা বলে, যা বাংলাদেশের সাংস্কৃতিক বৈচিত্র্যকে আরও সমৃদ্ধ করেছে। তবে, বাংলা ভাষার আধিপত্য ও আধুনিক সমাজের চাপের কারণে এসব ভাষার অনেকগুলোই বিলুপ্তির মুখে, যা বৈশ্বিকভাবে “ভাষার মৃত্যু” নামে পরিচিত একটি সমস্যা। জাতিসংঘের মতে, বিশ্বে প্রতি দুই সপ্তাহে একটি আদিবাসী ভাষা হারিয়ে যাচ্ছে।

ব্রিটিশ উপনিবেশিক শাসনের সময় আদিবাসী সম্প্রদায়গুলো দমন–পীড়নের বিরুদ্ধে গুরুত্বপূর্ণ ভূমিকা রেখেছিল। সিধু ও কানুর মতো নেতারা সাঁওতাল বিদ্রোহের মতো আন্দোলনের নেতৃত্ব দেন, যা উপনিবেশবিরোধী সংগ্রামে তাদের অবদানের প্রমাণ। তবে এই গৌরবময় ইতিহাস সত্ত্বেও, আজকের বাংলাদেশে আদিবাসীরা তাদের ভাষা ও সংস্কৃতি রক্ষার ক্ষেত্রে নানা চ্যালেঞ্জের সম্মুখীন। সরকার প্রাক–প্রাথমিক শিক্ষায় আদিবাসী ভাষাগুলো অন্তর্ভুক্ত করার চেষ্টা করলেও, প্রশিক্ষিত শিক্ষকের অভাব এবং উচ্চশিক্ষার জন্য পর্যাপ্ত সংস্থানের অভাবে এ প্রচেষ্টা বাধাগ্রস্ত হচ্ছে।

এছাড়াও, ১৯৫৭ সালে পাকিস্তান সরকার ইউএসএআইডির অর্থায়নে কাপ্তাই বাঁধ নির্মাণ করে, যা হাজার হাজার পাহাড়ি মানুষের জীবন বদলে দেয়। তাদের বসতভিটা ও কৃষিজমি কর্ণফুলী নদীর পানির নিচে তলিয়ে যায়, ফলে তারা তাদের জীবিকা ও সংস্কৃতির সঙ্গে যুক্ত ভূমির সংযোগ হারায়। এই বাস্তুচ্যুতি এবং চলমান প্রান্তিককরণ আজও বাংলাদেশের আদিবাসী জনগোষ্ঠীর ওপর প্রভাব ফেলছে।

A. Choose the best answer from the alternatives:

1. The ethnic people occupy a __ position in the culture of Bangladesh
   (i) negligible (ii) significant (iii) ignore (iv) difficult
2. Bangladesh is home to more than __ Indigenous groups
   (i) 40 (ii) 50 (iii) 54 (iv) 60
3. Most Indigenous people in Bangladesh live in __
   (i) coastal regions (ii) northern and southeastern flatlands (iii) urban areas (iv) central districts
4. The rest of the Indigenous people in Bangladesh live in __
   (i) Barishal (ii) Sylhet (iii) Chittagong Hill Tracts (iv) Dhaka
5. Indigenous groups in Bangladesh speak at least __ distinct languages
   (i) 20 (ii) 25 (iii) 30 (iv) 35
6. Many Indigenous languages are __ due to modern societal pressures
   (i) flourishing (ii) endangered (iii) changing (iv) unknown
7. The global issue of languages disappearing is known as __
   (i) language loss (ii) language extinction (iii) language death (iv) language transformation
8. The UN warns that one Indigenous language disappears every __
   (i) week (ii) two weeks (iii) month (iv) year
9. Indigenous communities played a role in resisting oppression during __
   (i) the Mughal rule (ii) British colonial rule (iii) the Liberation War (iv) modern times
10. Sidhu and Kanu were leaders of the __
    (i) Chakma Revolt (ii) Indigo Revolt (iii) Santhal Rebellion (iv) Sepoy Mutiny
11. The Santhal Rebellion was an __ struggle
    (i) anti-British (ii) anti-Mughal (iii) economic (iv) peaceful
12. One challenge in preserving Indigenous languages is __
    (i) a lack of students (ii) lack of trained teachers (iii) government restrictions (iv) migration to cities
13. The government’s attempt to introduce Indigenous languages in education faces __
    (i) no difficulties (ii) widespread acceptance (iii) several hurdles (iv) immediate success
14. Higher education in Indigenous languages is difficult due to __
    (i) no government support (ii) lack of resources (iii) lack of interest (iv) language difficulty
15. The Kaptai Dam was constructed in __
    (i) 1947 (ii) 1957 (iii) 1967 (iv) 1977
16. The Kaptai Dam was funded by __
    (i) IMF (ii) World Bank (iii) USAID (iv) UNESCO
17. The Kaptai Dam was built by the __ government
    (i) British (ii) Pakistani (iii) Indian (iv) Bangladeshi
18. The Kaptai Dam submerged homes and __
    (i) factories (ii) forests (iii) farmlands (iv) schools
19. The construction of the Kaptai Dam displaced thousands of __
    (i) farmers (ii) traders (iii) Indigenous people (iv) government officials
20. The Kaptai Dam affected Indigenous people’s __
    (i) political power (ii) livelihoods (iii) education (iv) religious beliefs
21. The river affected by the Kaptai Dam is __
    (i) Padma (ii) Meghna (iii) Karnaphuli (iv) Jamuna
22. Language death is caused by __
    (i) lack of native speakers (ii) linguistic diversity (iii) historical preservation (iv) government support
23. The government is working to include Indigenous languages in __
    (i) high school (ii) preschool education (iii) university curriculum (iv) government offices
24. A major hurdle in Indigenous education is __
    (i) too many teachers (ii) lack of materials (iii) students refusing to learn (iv) language complexity
25. Indigenous cultures are rich in __
    (i) modern literature (ii) belief systems (iii) advanced technology (iv) financial institutions
26. One result of Indigenous displacement is __
    (i) economic growth (ii) loss of cultural identity (iii) better infrastructure (iv) urbanization
27. The Indigenous groups in Bangladesh have __ economic practices
    (i) the same (ii) varied (iii) weak (iv) non-existent
28. The UN states that language death is a __ issue
    (i) local (ii) global (iii) minor (iv) regional
29. Indigenous languages are at risk because of __
    (i) increased use of Bangla (ii) government preservation (iii) strict rules (iv) academic growth
30. Sidhu and Kanu fought against __
    (i) language loss (ii) foreign rulers (iii) landowners (iv) cultural shifts
31. The Santhal Rebellion was an uprising against __
    (i) the British (ii) the Pakistani government (iii) land displacement (iv) linguistic oppression
32. Many Indigenous languages in Bangladesh are __
    (i) widely spoken (ii) recognized in education (iii) disappearing (iv) promoted internationally
33. The Indigenous groups in Bangladesh have __ belief systems
    (i) the same (ii) diverse (iii) undefined (iv) modernized
34. Which of the following affects Indigenous languages the most?
    (i) cultural pride (ii) modernization (iii) environmental changes (iv) education policies
35. The lack of trained teachers affects __ education
    (i) English (ii) Indigenous language (iii) religious (iv) science
36. One way to preserve Indigenous languages is through __
    (i) migration (ii) oral storytelling (iii) digital platforms (iv) destruction of other languages
37. The Kaptai Dam was built to generate __
    (i) tourism (ii) hydroelectric power (iii) employment (iv) better transport routes
38. The displacement of Indigenous people led to __
    (i) cultural preservation (ii) migration difficulties (iii) economic stability (iv) improved literacy
39. Language death leads to __
    (i) greater diversity (ii) loss of identity (iii) educational growth (iv) population increase
40. The Santhal Rebellion was a response to __
    (i) economic hardship (ii) cultural loss (iii) British policies (iv) natural disasters
41. Indigenous languages are mostly __ in Bangladesh
    (i) written (ii) oral (iii) pictorial (iv) digitalized
42. The loss of Indigenous languages results in __
    (i) better communication (ii) cultural weakening (iii) language diversity (iv) increased migration
43. The Indigenous resistance during British rule was mostly __
    (i) peaceful (ii) armed (iii) political (iv) economic
44. One solution to language death is __
    (i) banning native languages (ii) promoting multilingual education (iii) reducing local schools (iv) changing national policies
45. The Santhal Rebellion helped shape __
    (i) modern agriculture (ii) economic reforms (iii) resistance movements (iv) urban development
46. The Kaptai Dam was built under __ rule
    (i) British (ii) Pakistani (iii) Bangladeshi (iv) Indian
47. The displacement of Indigenous communities caused __
    (i) industrial growth (ii) economic loss (iii) improved literacy (iv) political stability
48. Indigenous groups have __ cultures
    (i) disappearing (ii) unique (iii) similar (iv) unknown
49. The impact of the Kaptai Dam is still felt in __
    (i) Dhaka (ii) Chittagong Hill Tracts (iii) Barishal (iv) Rajshahi
50. The preservation of Indigenous languages is a __ effort
    (i) community (ii) national (iii) global (iv) academic

 B. Answer the following questions.

1. What is the approximate number of Indigenous groups in Bangladesh?
2. Who are some of the Indigenous groups mentioned in the passage?
3. Where do most Indigenous people in Bangladesh live?
4. Which region is home to the rest of the Indigenous people in Bangladesh?
5. How many distinct languages are spoken by Indigenous groups in Bangladesh?
6. What is a major threat to Indigenous languages in Bangladesh?
7. Why are many Indigenous languages endangered?
8. Which global issue describes the disappearance of Indigenous languages?
9. How often does an Indigenous language disappear, according to the UN?
10. Who warns about the rapid disappearance of Indigenous languages?
11. When did Indigenous communities play a role in resisting oppression?
12. Who were the two leaders that led Indigenous uprisings against British rule?
13. What was the name of the rebellion led by Sidhu and Kanu?
14. Why did the Indigenous people resist British rule?
15. Which colonial power did Indigenous communities fight against in Bangladesh?
16. What is one major challenge in preserving Indigenous languages?
17. Why is higher education in Indigenous languages difficult?
18. Which level of education is the government trying to introduce Indigenous languages into?
19. How does the lack of trained teachers affect Indigenous education?
20. What hurdles does the government face in including Indigenous languages in education?
21. When was the Kaptai Dam constructed?
22. Who funded the construction of the Kaptai Dam?
23. Which government was responsible for building the Kaptai Dam?
24. What was submerged due to the construction of the Kaptai Dam?
25. How did the Kaptai Dam impact Indigenous livelihoods?
26. What was one major consequence of the construction of the Kaptai Dam?
27. Why did thousands of Indigenous people lose their homes?
28. Where did many displaced Indigenous people go after the construction of the Kaptai Dam?
29. Which river was affected by the construction of the Kaptai Dam?

How does the history of displacement still affect Indigenous communities today?