From Migration to Modern Life: History, Culture, Beliefs, Language, Livelihood, and Identity of the Mro of the Chittagong Hill Tracts
Keywords:
Mro / Murong, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Migration, Cultural identity, Birth, death rituals, Marriage customs, Traditional clothing, dwellings, Krama Dharma, Festivals (Champua, Taungya, Roikkaram), Mro language, Jhum cultivation, Land rights protestAbstract
The Mro (also known as the Mro or Murong) are one of the thirteen indigenous ethnic groups of the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, who primarily live in the hills of Bandarban along the Sangu and Matamuhari rivers. Historical sources suggest that they migrated from China through Arakan and gradually settled in present-day Bangladesh and India between the 14th and 18th centuries, later facing displacement after the construction of the Kaptai Dam in 1962. The Mro preserve a distinct cultural identity expressed through traditional dwellings, clothing, food customs, festivals, birth and death rituals, and a rich belief system based on religion, pantheism, and Kram Dharma, established by the Kramadi in the 20th century. Although the introduction of the Mro script has helped preserve their language, the community continues to face social, educational, and economic challenges, including land rights issues and identity confusion caused by the incorrect recording of their names as "Muron", which has affected their legal and civil recognition.
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References
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