The Death of a Civilization

Without any prior environmental or social impact assessment, the Pakistani government(now Bangladesh) established the Kaptai Hydroelectric Project (1959-1963). Many of the indigenous people have still not received any compensation after loss of their lands and homes in the 1960s, because of the flood caused by the Kaptai Dam construction” . The indigenous peoples were not included in any consultative or participatory status during the creation of this huge project. The dam flooded 54,000 acres of cultivable land and more than 100,000 people, including 10,000 farming families were displaced from their houses and farms. The dam submerged about 40 percent of the total settled cultivable land of the district. The Kaptai dam was constructed at a cost of about Rs. 490 million founded by USAID and the Pakistani government. To rehabilitate the vulnerable tribal families, the government allocated 240 million rupees but only 20 million Rupees were actually released for this purpose (Shelley,1992:31). The government said that they did not find enough land for reimbursement, which led a great number of the indigenous people being forced to migrate over the border into the Indian state of Tripura. By the mid-1960’s, the Government of Pakistan(now Bangladesh) instructed the District Administration to send local indigenous employees to other districts of East Pakistan. The indigenous people of CHT also lost their rights to education in their own languages. A hydroelectric power plant to create a prosperous town was destroyed. Thousands of acres of farmland and residence is immersed in water. Hydroelectric plant producing colonies across the country, but the darkness was illuminated. But the only gift Kaptai Lake was born. Sometimes, the pain is also true elegance uncovered. The tree is still bitter past as a witness is eager to show his diligence, to survive against all odds. The project to establish the existence of those sufferers are still battling.