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A Preliminary Survey of Ethno-medicinal Plants Used by the Chakma Community of Rangamati and Khagrachari Hill District, Bangladesh

Asim Kumar Paul*
Forest Botany Division, Bangladesh Forest Research Institute, P.O. Box 273, Chittagong- 4000, Bangladesh

Md. Jahangir Alam
Forest Botany Division, Bangladesh Forest Research Institute, P.O. Box 273, Chittagong- 4000, Bangladesh

A.H.M. Jahangir Alam
Forest Botany Division, Bangladesh Forest Research Institute, P.O. Box 273, Chittagong- 4000, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Preliminary survey work was done in Rangamati and Khagracharihill district in the Chakma community. The study was carried out on medicinal plants used by the Chakma community. Chakma people are mostly residing in the deep forest and depend on their own traditional health care system. Information was collected by interviewing traditional herbal healers (locally called Baddhya) and various elderly men and women. All the plants were listed along with their scientific name, family, chakma name, habit, used parts and mode of preparation. A total of 125 plant species under 46 families have been identified which are used to treat different diseases by the traditional herbal healers. Fabaceae, Rubiaceae and Euphorbiaceae are the most frequently used family to the number of species used by the Chakma Community. Mostly leaves are used for the preparation of folk medicine.

Keywords: Chakma community, Ethno-medicinal plants, Herbal healer, Khagrachari, Rangamati

Location: Rangamati and Khagrachari Hill District, Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Development of Host and Medicinal Plants

Commodity: Medicinal Plants

Objectives:

The objective of the study was to conduct an ethnomedicinal survey among tribal herbal healers from the Chakma tribes of Rangamati and Khagrachari district in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region of Bangladesh.

Methodology:

The study was conducted covering the major area of the Rangamati and Khagrachari districts.

A number of visits (20, each visit lasted 1 to 2 days) were made in Rangamati and Khagrachari districts. Information was collected from the study area in different seasons to get real data on the medicinal plants. The information on the medicinal plants was gathered through questionnaire method and discussion with local Chakma herbal healer locally called, Baddhya and elderly persons in the community. All the information mentioned is based on firsthand information on medicinal plants. The medicinal plant species were collected from wild and also from the homestead gardens. Local names of each medicinal plant with plant part(s) used, mode of preparation and the names of diseases were recorded. Plant specimens were collected with flowers and fruits. Plant specimens were properly pressed, dried and mounted on herbarium sheets using standard herbarium techniques (Alexiades,1996). The specimens were identified consulting with the experts, by comparing herbarium specimens and available literatures. All the collected Plants are arranged alphabetically by their scientific and family name followed by tribal names, habit, part used and mode of preparation. The voucher specimens are stored at Bangladesh Forest Research Institute, herbarium, Chittagong for future reference.

Source of Information: Arabian Journal of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants V5N2, 2019

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The present survey reveals that traditional ethnobotanical practices still play a very important role in Rangamati and Khagrachari district. Ethnobotanical practices not only play an important role in primary health care but also play a vital role in the conservation of phyto-diversity and cultural diversity. It can be concluded that the traditional herbal healer had a good sound of knowledge on the medicinal properties of various plants to use for healing purposes. The increasing demand of medicinal flora has resulted in the rapid decline of these natural resources. In modern days, our present generations are losing their previous glorious heritage of plant use knowledge because of urbanization, lack of practicing and degradation of forests. It is necessary to conserve the threatened medicinal plants from extinction and to document the plant’s information before disappearing. There is an urgent need for systematic conservation and sustainable production of medicinal plants involving local communities, researchers and departmental field group with stronger linkage for co-operative work to meet future demand on a sustained method.

Knowledge Management: Journal