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A Study on the Indigenous Medicinal Plants and Healing Practices in Chittagong Hill Tracts (bangladesh)

Niaz Ahmed Khan
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh.

A. Z. M. Manzoor Rashid
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

It has been unequivocally established that medicinal plants and associated knowledge play a significant role in the general welfare of the upland communities of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Bangladesh. Notwithstanding the recognition, however, organized research on indigenous medicinal plants and knowledge has been strikingly limited. This local wisdom is fast eroding for such reasons as biotic interference, shrinking land resource base, deforestation, insufficient support from the government and public policies, and lack of appropriate management and institutional structure. In this context, this article, drawing on an empirical fieldwork, sheds some lights on the indigenous medicinal plants and associated practices in six selected locations of CHT. After a general introduction, the second section summaries selected key literature on the subject. The third section presents some observation on the medicinal plant resources in the study areas, while the next section introduces the practice of traditional healers or Baidyas together with their problems. The concluding section furnishes the following clues on improvement: (a) systematic documentation and recording of the existing medicinal plants; (b) organized motivational and awareness raising campaign regarding medicinal plants and their benefits; (c) establishment of experimental propagation nurseries; (d) research support for proper documentation and dissemination of the knowledge on medicinal plants and associated folk and herbal treatment methods; (e) utilization of the local press, media and folk cultural practices as community-based extension and dissemination media to highlight the importance of medicinal plants and knowledge; (f) development of a network or platform to bring the Baidyas together by utilizing the community-based organizations.

Keywords: Bangladesh, Healing practice, Indigenous knowledge, Medicinal plants, Upland community

Location: Chittagong Hill Tracts

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Development of Host and Medicinal Plants

Commodity: Medicinal Plants

Objectives:

Objective of this study was to draw on an empirical fieldwork sheds some lights on the indigenous medicinal plants and associated knowledge and practices in selected locations of CHT.

Methodology:

The Major Medicinal Plants in the Study Area: A list of important plants have been develop, which are observed in the study areas. These plants are preferred by the Baidyas mainly for such reasons as (a) their adaptability to the edaphic and climatic conditions of the locality (b) their market potential and (c) the diverse use of many of them in different medicine preparation as the ‘base’ ingredient. Medicinal plants are often found along hedge and boundary lines. The shrubby species are usually cultivated as undergrowth in homestead plantation areas and also in the fallow lands. Organised commercial plantations (as distinct from irregular homestead plantations) are virtually absent. Scientific silvicultural practices (e.g. weeding, pruning) are not usually followed. Women play a major role in maintaining the (limited number of) homestead medicinal plantations in the locality. A number of Baidyas from the Marma community possess written manual (Burmese scripts) on the practice and they deal more in mainstream herbal treatment, as compared to the tantra-montro or spiritual and sacred ceremonies. The Baidyas representing the Tanchangya community are more into the practice of tantra-montro. The Practice of Baidya: Nature and Challenges:The knowledge and wisdom, which underpin the practice of Baidya, are mostly passed on from one generation to the other. Baidyas provide two broad categories of services: (a) plant-based (curative and preventive) treatment and healing (kabiraji); and (b) spiritual and sacred ceremonies (tontra-montro). The following boxes present some glimpses of the life and living of the Baidyas. Nine (out of 30) Baidyas maintain a reasonable stock of the major medicinal plants and herbs in and around their homestead premises. The family members especially the women typically look after these plantations. Only 3 respondents have specialised chamber for attending to the patients. Other does not have any special provision or formal arrangement, except for small wooden boxes to store the basic equipment and raw materials for the practice. Most Baidyas collect raw materials from local bazaars namely Balaghata bazar, Sualok, Bandarban sadar. For more widely used materials, Baidyas occasionally approach intermediate agents or middlemen or city-based whole-sellers. There are a few medicine shops in the City of Chittagong, which deal in herbal and medicinal plants. It is difficult to determine Baidyas’ income. Their income varies substantially and shows seasonal fluctuations (e.g. winter is often a busy time for the Baidyas in handling cases of mental disorder; high monsoon for water-borne diseases). A good number of respondents expressed their unwillingness to discuss about their earnings. Besides, for nearly two third of the respondents, the practice of Baidya is not the only source of livelihood. They typically rely on such supplementary sources of income as small business (e.g. grocery shops), collection of non-timber forest products (bamboo, fuelwood, sungrass, honey etc.), livestock (especially pigs) rearing, sharecropping, and waged labour. The highest and lowest incomes from the practice of Baidya, as reported by the respondents (who agreed to share the information), are Tk. 1400 and Tk. 6000.

Source of Information: African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines Vol. 3, No. 3, 2006, pp. 37-47 ISSN: 0189-6016

Article Link (Online Journal): http://www.bioline.org.br/request?tc06035

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The age-old practice of Baidya is currently threatened by a host of problems including limited availability of the required plants and herbs; rapid destruction of natural forests; lack of formal arrangement or institution to train and nurture this knowledge; lack of organized propagation nurseries; inadequate institutional and external support and patronization (especially from the government); low quality and poor stock of raw materials in the open market; and unwillingness among the youngsters to learn and adopt the practice. Despite the rather dismal present state of affairs, this deeply rooted social practice, which has significant value as a community service, still holds great potential and remains too important to be ignored. Drawing on the respondents’ comments and our observation during the fieldwork, the following ideas and clues on possible improvement may be considered:

With the active participation of the local people, the existing medicinal plants should be systematically documented and recorded; the document may also be made available in major local languages in a simple and user-friendly manner.
Organized motivational and awareness raising campaign regarding medicinal plants and their benefits (e.g. free from negative side effects, low cost) may be carried out at the community level, especially amongst the younger population, by involving the community leaders and local community based organizations (e.g. schools and religious institutions) and NGOs.
The mainstream research institutions in the country, especially the forest and agricultural research institutes and universities may be encouraged to provide the much-needed research support for proper documentation and dissemination of the knowledge on medicinal plants and associated folk and herbal treatment methods.
Local base and community relations—two of the major benefits of some of the local NGOs and community based organizations may also be exploited for initiating a network or platform to bring the Baidyas together.

Knowledge Management: Journal