Bandarban District Facts for Kids

Tengplong Chut, Bandarban

Bandarban (which means the dam of monkeys in Bengali) is a district located in the southeastern part of Bangladesh. It's part of the Chittagong Division and the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Bandarban is also known as Arvumi or the Bohmong Circle. There are two other hill districts nearby: Rangamati (the Chakma Circle) and Khagrachari (the Mong Circle).

A Look Back: British and Pakistani Times
After Bangladesh Became Independent
Images for kids
See also

A Look Back: British and Pakistani Times

When the area was part of British India, Bandarban was known as the Bohmong Circle and had some freedom to govern itself. During World War II, many soldiers came to this area to fight against the Japanese army, who were in nearby Burma. The local tribes living in these hills have always valued their independence and often resisted outside rule.

When India, Pakistan, and Burma became independent from Britain, the tribes of Bandarban even flew the flag of Burma for a short time. Later, during the Bangladesh War of 1971, which was fought to gain independence from Pakistan, some tribal leaders tried to work with the Pakistani government.

After Bangladesh Became Independent

In the late 1970s, more people from other parts of Bangladesh started moving to the hills. This led to some fighting and a group called Shanti Bahini started a rebellion.