Bangladeshi Meiteis in dire situation
Source: Chronicle News Service / Bishorjit Yumnam

Sylhet, April 21 2022: Meitei residents in Bangladesh's Sylhet town and Bishgao village strongly felt that existence of the community in these areas would become a history in near future as their population decreases rapidly much due to migration to other parts of the country.

A team of Thoubal District Working Journalists' Union, which is currently touring Meitei and Meitei Pangal in habited areas in Bangladesh also came across possible signs of extinction of Manipuri language (Meeteilon) from use in the next generation.

The team found out that there were many Meitei houses in the heart of Sylhet town until recently but many of them have now shifted to other areas of the country or moved to India after selling off their homestead lands to Bangladeshis.

Due to diminishing population, present generation of Meitei children in the town have problem in speaking fluent Manipuri as they speak Bangla more.

The same is the case with Meitei residents of Bishgao village where even middle aged Meitei residents speak Manipuri with heavy Bangladeshi accent and they drew attention of Manipur government for help in preserving Manipuri language.

During interaction with the team at Bishgao Manipuri Club which was established in 1980, club president Nameirakpam Atul Singha said that Bishgao village was once inhabited by Meitei only but now only three localities are inhabited by the community.

The localities are Adab Leikai, Khunou and Gubarkhala.

Combined voters of the three localities are only around 400 now as many Meitei residents have sold off their lands and moved to other areas.

Another reason for decreasing Meitei population in the village is that many couples do not want to have more than two children though there are other reasons as well.

According to Atul Singha, Bangladesh government treats Meitei dearly and no religious places of the community were touched during India-Pakistan war in 1965 though many Hindu temples (Mandir) were destroyed in the war.

Though some Meitei fled the country during 1971 Bangladesh-Pakistan war out of fear, most of them returned and settled in the country, he said while reiterating that Bangladesh government never ill-treated Meitei.

He also said that Bangladesh government continues to provide 5 percent reservation for Meitei community in government job recruitment and almost every house of Meitei and Meitei Pangal has government employee and 80 percent of them were benefited from the reservation.

Atul Singha is currently a teacher at Information Computer and Technology (ICT) of Gazipur Raihania Sunnia Dakhil (Secondary) Madrassa and he continued that the main reason for Meitei children speaking Bengali more and Manipuri less could be their communication through Bengali at school.

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