The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is an extensive hilly area in Bangladesh, lie in the southeastern part of the country (210 25' N to 230 45' N latitude and 910 54' E to 920 50' E longitude) bordering the Indian state of
Tripura on the north,
Rakhine State of
Myanmar on the south,
Chin state of Myanmar and Indian state
Mizoram on the east,
Chittagong District and
Cox's Bazar District on the west. The area of the Chittagong Hill Tracts is about 13,184 km2, which is approximately one-tenth of the total area of Bangladesh. The Chittagong Hill Tracts combine three hilly districts of Bangladesh:
Rangamati,
Khagrachhari and
Bandarban districts. , the highest peak of the Bangladesh situated in the region. The mountainous rugged terrain with deep forests, lakes and falls gives it a different character from the rest of Bangladesh.
Saka Haphong, the highest peak of Bangladesh, is located here. Though officially
Tazing Dong is declared as the highest peak, it is also located here.
Keokradong is another famous peak in this area.
Topography The landscape of the Chittagong Hill Tracts is predominantly hilly, featuring a series of parallel ridges with altitudes ranging from 200 to over 1,000 meters above sea level. The highest peak in Bangladesh,
Keokradong (986 meters), is located in Bandarban District. The terrain consists of steep slopes, narrow valleys, and occasional flatlands, making it distinct from the rest of Bangladesh's floodplains. , situated in the middle of the region. The Chittagong Hill Tracts are traversed by several important rivers, the largest being the
Karnaphuli River, which originates in the hills and flows into the Bay of Bengal. The
Kaptai Dam, built on the Karnaphuli River, has created
Kaptai Lake, the largest artificial lake in Bangladesh. Other significant rivers include the
Sangu, Matamuhuri
, and
Feni Rivers. The region is home to
tropical and
subtropical evergreen forests, which support a rich diversity of flora and fauna. The forests include species such as teak, garjan, and bamboo. The wildlife of CHT features mammals like elephants,
leopards, and
deer, along with a variety of bird species. However, deforestation and human activities have led to ecological challenges in recent years. The soil in the Chittagong Hill Tracts is mostly red and yellow sandy loam, which is less fertile compared to the alluvial soils of the Bangladeshi plains. Due to the steep slopes, jhum (slash-and-burn) cultivation is traditionally practiced by the indigenous communities. However, efforts are being made to introduce sustainable agricultural methods to prevent soil erosion and land degradation.
Natural resources The region is rich in natural resources, including timber, bamboo, and various minerals. Kaptai Lake has also become an important source of hydroelectric power, contributing to Bangladesh's energy supply. However, environmental concerns have been raised due to deforestation, resource extraction, and changes in land use.
Land use and environment Tobacco cultivation Tobacco cultivation is damaging the ecology of the area, with the loss of indigenous trees such as
Chukrasia tabularis (Indian mahogany), and soil fertility. Most of the farmers of
Rangamati,
Bandarban, and
Khagrachhari have been losing their interest in cultivating their own indigenous crops after defaulting on loans provided by tobacco companies.
Environmental issues Like other mountainous areas in South and Southeast Asia, the Chittagong Hill Tracts are undergoing deforestation and
land degradation arising from environmentally unsuitable activities such as tobacco cultivation in sloping land, shifting cultivation and logging. Shifting cultivation, also known as
slash-and-burn agriculture or swidden cultivation, embraces a large variety of primitive forms of agriculture. It is a unique stage in the evolution from hunting and food gathering to sedentary farming. Humankind began to change its mode of life from food gatherer to food producer about 7000 B.C. by adopting shifting cultivation. Some form of shifting cultivation has been practised in most parts of the world, but more intensive forms of agriculture have subsequently replaced it. The present shifting cultivation system with short
fallow periods in the Chittagong Hill Tracts has accelerated
erosion, land degradation,
deforestation, and impoverishment of tribal people in CHT. If the present state of degradation is continued, most of the areas under shifting cultivation will be severely degraded and future generations will face more difficulties in eking out their livelihoods on further degraded land, although there is some scope for shifting cultivators to leave the degraded fields and move to other areas. It is estimated that on average eight hectares of land is necessary for the sustenance of a family in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. If this ratio is adopted, 1,240,000 ha land is required to sustain the present population; however, the total land available, excluding the reserve forest, is 928,000 ha. Shifting cultivation, therefore, cannot fulfill even the subsistence requirements of the people. In such a situation, either large non-farm employment opportunities need to be created or more productive land-use systems need to be developed and adopted. Given the sluggish growth of the economy, there is limited scope for generating adequate non-farming employment opportunities in the near future. It is, therefore, imperative to replace the present shifting cultivation system with more productive and sustainable land use systems to enable people to secure their livelihoods.
Climate The region experiences a
tropical monsoon climate, with high temperatures and significant seasonal variations in precipitation. Annual rainfall averages between 2,000 and 3,500 millimeters, mostly occurring during the monsoon season from June to September. Winters are mild and dry, while summers are hot and humid. == Language ==