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BEACH
I
ARCHAEOLOGICAL
I
HISTORICAL
I
FOREST
&
JUNGLE
I
HILLS
&
ISLAND |
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Bandarban
is a
district
in
South-Eastern
Bangladesh,
and
a
part
of
the
Chittagong
Division
and
Chittagong
Hill
Tracts.
Bandarban
(meaning
the
dam
of
monkeys)
is
also
known
as
Arvumi
or
the
Bohmong
Circle
(of
the
rest
of
the
three
hill
districts
Rangamati
is
the
Chakma
Circle
and
Khagrachari
is
the
Mong
Circle).
Bandarban
town
is
the
home
town
of
the
Bohmong
Chief
(currently
King,
or
Raja,
Aung
Shue
Prue
Chowdhury)
who
is
the
head
of
the
Marma
tribe
people.
It
also
is
the
administrative
headquarter
of
Bandarban
district,
which
has
turned
into
one
of
the
most
exotic
tourist
attractions
in
Bangladesh
since
the
insurgency
in
Chittagong
Hill
Tracts
has
ceased
more
than
a
decade
back. |
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History |
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A
kingdom
of
the
Mru
since
early
fourteenth
century,
Bandarban
came
under
Marma
rule
after
the
Mughal
invasion
of
Chittagong
under
Emperor
Aurangzeb
in
mid
seventeenth
century,
though
the
Mughal
could
never
defeat
the
Mru.
During
the
raids
of
the
Portuguese
Armada
and
the
heyday
of
Arakanese
kingdom
Marmas
and
Rakhains
had
moved
into
the
area
in
large
numbers.
In
mid
eighteenth
century
Mir
Qasim,
the
Nawab
of
Bengal,
invaded
the
area,
as
it
went
almost
independent
with
decline
of
the
Mughals. |
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British
and
Pakistani
rule |
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During
the
British
Raj,
it
was
declared
as
the
Bohmong
circle
with
limited
autonomy.
During
World
War
II
the
area
saw
the
presence
of a
formidable
British
military
presence
that
came
to
stand
against
a
Japanese
invasion.
The
tribes
of
these
hills
held
the
reputation
of
unyielding
rebellion
throughout
history.
When
India,
Pakistan
and
Myanmar
went
independent
from
the
Raj,
the
tribes
of
Bandarban
flew
the
Myanmar,
then
known
as
Burma,
flag
for
a
few
days.
During
the
Bangladesh
Liberation
War
(1971)
to
gain
independence
from
Pakistan,
leaders
of
the
tribal
people
sought
allegiance
with
Pakistan
government. |
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Since
Bangladeshi
independence |
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In
the
late
1970s,
a
policy
of
forced
settling
of
Bengalis
into
hills
was
pursued,
which
later
gave
rise
to
much
violence
against
the
hill
people
and
the
insurgency
led
by
Shanti
Bahini.
There
have
been
an
attempt
to
create
divide
among
tribal
cultural
lines
between
the
Chakmas,
who
led
Shantibanhini,
and
the
Mrus,
by
creating
an
anti-Shantibanhini
militia
out
of
them.
Now,
after
the
peace
treaty,
Bandarban
stands
as a
locally
governed
ethnic
region
together
with
the
two
other
hill
districts.
Representation
of
numerous
tribes
of
the
district
in
the
Hill
Council
now
stands
as a
thorn
of
dispute
here.
Contemporary
history
of
Bandarban
has
not
been
a
happy
one,
despite
much
development
initiatives
taken
by
church
organizations
and
UN
agencies
like
UNICEF,
UNDP
and
UNFPA
as
well
as
Bangladesh
Army
present
in
large
numbers
here.
The
district
is
not
allowed
a
cell-phone
network
and
is
still
under
a
quasi-military
rule.
Insurgents
from
across
the
border[citation
needed]
as
well
as
drugs
and
arms
smugglers
play
a
large
role
in
the
jungles
here.
Newspaper
reports
of
discovering
poppy
fields
or
arms
caches
are
not
rare
for
Bandarban.
There
also
is
much
tension
between
Bengali
settlers
and
ethnic
minorities,
as
well
as
between
early
Hindu
settlers
and
recent
Muslim
settlers
and
between
dominant
tribes
and
lesser
tribes. |
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