How ethnic minorities became poor and stay poor in Bangladesh: a qualitative enquiry

Little has been written about the experiences of ethnic minorities in contemporary Bangladesh. This working paper reflects on the status of ethnic minorities in both the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and plain lands, examining the ways in which their identities are situated in the nation, experiences of poverty and in particular relationships to land. The power dynamics underlying the relationships between these communities and Bengalees are often neglected, and it is all the more important to focus on these given that development agencies often ignore issues of power and politics.