Khumi people

Khumi
Total population
	125,000
Regions with significant populations
	In Bangladesh the Khumis reside in Bandarban District of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Myanmar	120,000[citation needed]
Bangladesh	3,780 (2022)
Languages
	Khumi language
Religion
	Animist

The Khumis (Bengali: খুমী) are a community inhabiting in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. The Khumis are one of smallest ethnic groups in Bangladesh with a population of only 1214 according to the 1991 census (in the census of 1981 their population was recorded as 1258), though there are another 120,000 across the border in Burma.^{[citation needed]}

History

Among the ethnic groups in Chittagong Hill Tracts the Khumis were the war like people.^[1] Earlier they were very often engaged in internecine or intertrinal warfare with the Bawms and the Mros. The Khumis used to live in Arakan; when there was fierce battle between them and the Mros, the latter being defeated fled to Chittagong Hill Tracts. But later the Khumis themselves entered Chittagong Hill Tracts after being defeated by Arakan.^[1]

The term "Khumi" might have originated from a combination of two words in the Khumi language: "Kha," meaning "man," and "Ma," meaning "the best race." Together, they signify "the man who excels in racing." But according to the Arakanese language, "Kha" translates to "dog," and "Ma" refers to "race," which interprets as "the dog that races best."^[2]

Geographical distribution

According to the 2022 Bangladeshi census, there are 3,780 Khumi in Bangladesh.^[3] They mainly concentrated in Bandarban District with 3287 population.^[4]

Upazila	Population	Percentage who are Khumi^[4]
Thanchi Upazila	1,829	6.14%
Ruma Upazila	890	2.74%
Rowangchhari Upazila	436	1.57%
Others	<100

Religion and culture

The Khumis are animists. The men keep long hair and tie it into a tuft on the head. They are dependent on shifting cultivation. In 1995, only one of their members passed Secondary School Certificate examination.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ ^a ^b Saradindu Shekhar Chakma. Ethnic Cleansing in Chittagong Hill Tracts. p. 39.
^ "Indigenous (Tribal/Ethnic) People of Bangladesh: Their Belief, lifestyle and Culture - Travel Mate". 2019-04-28. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
^ "Table 1.4 Ethnic Population by Group and Sex" (PDF). Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. 2021. p. 33. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
^ ^a ^b Population and Housing Census 2022 - District Report: Bandarban (PDF). Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. June 2024. pp. xiv, 202–206. ISBN 978-984-475-276-4.202-206&rft.pub=Bangladesh+Bureau+of+Statistics&rft.date=2024-06&rft.isbn=978-984-475-276-4&rft_id=http://nsds.bbs.gov.bd/storage/files/1/District%20Report%20Bandarban.pdf&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Khumi+people" class="Z3988">

External links

An Ethnographic Study on the Khumi

[Saradindu_Shekhar_Chakma_39-1] Saradindu Shekhar Chakma. Ethnic Cleansing in Chittagong Hill Tracts. p. 39.

[2] "Indigenous (Tribal/Ethnic) People of Bangladesh: Their Belief, lifestyle and Culture - Travel Mate". 2019-04-28. Retrieved 2025-01-28.

[preliminary-3] "Table 1.4 Ethnic Population by Group and Sex" (PDF). Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. 2021. p. 33. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2022.

[2022census-Bandarban-4] Population and Housing Census 2022 - District Report: Bandarban (PDF). Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. June 2024. pp. xiv, 202–206. ISBN 978-984-475-276-4.202-206&rft.pub=Bangladesh+Bureau+of+Statistics&rft.date=2024-06&rft.isbn=978-984-475-276-4&rft_id=http://nsds.bbs.gov.bd/storage/files/1/District%20Report%20Bandarban.pdf&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Khumi+people" class="Z3988">

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