Students of eight ethic minority groups in Bandarban have not received textbooks in their mother tongue. Most guardians of ethnic minority groups say that many of their students face difficulty in learning lessons in Bangla. As a result, children drop out at the primary level.
This has resulted in suppressed resentment among people of three minority communities. Bandarban is the residence of 11 ethnic minority groups: Marma, Chakma, Tripura, Kheyang, Khumi, Lusai, Chak, Tangya, Bom, Murong and Pangkhoa.
Of them, Marma, Chakma and Tripura get text books in their language.
But the others also want textbooks in their language.
Primary education officer, Md. Shahidul Islam, says, “We have given books to Marma, Chakma and Tripura people because they wrote their textbooks and submitted them to us.”
We evaluated them and gave them in the format of textbooks and already people from the Mro community is planning to submit their textbooks written in their language.