Agricultural Research Management Information System

Home
Research Summary
Search
About Us
- ARMIS
- Brochure
Contact Us
Report
User Request
Data Input
Help
- Operation Manual
  - PDF
  - Video
- Program Area & Commodity
We have reached 37600 number of research entries at this moment.

- Logout

Research Detail

Home
Research
Detail

Medico-botanical Report on the Chakma Community of Bangladesh

SNIGDHA ROY
Department of Botany, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh

MOHAMMAD ZASHIM UDDIN
Department of Botany, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh

MD. ABUL HASSAN
Department of Botany, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh

M. MATIUR RAHMAN
Department of Botany, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Bangladesh is the abode for 21 ethnic communities (Khaleque 1995). Among them, the Chakma tribe is the largest and the most dominant one. Total population of Chakma is about 253,000 (Tripura 1994) of which more than 90 percent live in Rangamati and Khagrachari districts. Even in the recent past, the Chakma people living in Bangladesh used to meet their daily needs mostly from natural forest products. For the primary health care, still most of them depend upon surrounding plants and plant products. The knowledge of such health care system is passed from generation to generation in verbal form by traditional medicine men, local headmen and elderly persons in their community. However, currently the indigenous healthcare knowledge of Chakma tribe is in great risk because of various threats. If the present trend of eroding situation prevails, the valuable knowledge possessed by the Chakma people on indigenous medicinal plants is going to be lost forever without being properly recorded and documented.

Keywords: Chakma tribe, Ethnobotany, Bangladesh

Location: Rangamati and Khagrachari districts

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Development of Host and Medicinal Plants

Commodity: Medicinal Plants

Objectives:

In order to address this issue, the present article attempts to present some new medico-botanical information of Chakma people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh

Methodology:

Rangamati and Khagrachari districts (latitude 21º91′-23º75′ N and longitude 91º75′- 92º42′ E) were selected for the study as the majority of the Chakma community live there. Six field trips were conducted in the study area in the years 2004 and 2006. Information on the medicinal plants was gathered by interviewing Chakma traditional medicine men, local headmen and elderly persons in the community. Local names of each medicinal plant with plant part(s) used and the names of diseases or symptoms treated were recorded. This information was confirmed by asking two or more persons of the same community. The collected botanical specimens were identified at the Department of Botany of the University of Dhaka and Bangladesh National Herbarium. The voucher specimens are stored at Bangladesh National Herbarium for future reference.

Source of Information: Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 15(1): 67-72, 2008 (June)

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

1.

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

A total of 90 plant species have been recorded which are used in the treatment of different ailments by the Chakma people. For each species, scientific, local and family names, part(s) used and diseases treated are presented. Out of the total 90 species, three species, viz. Brownea coccinea Jacq., Gomphostemma parvifloria Wall. and Pyrrosia piloselloides M.G. (Pteridophyte) were recorded to have medicinal value for the first time from Bangladesh (Hassan and Khan 1986, 1996, Mia and Huq 1988, Alam 1992, Alam et al. 1996, Yusuf et al. 1994, 2006, Chowdhury et al. 1996, Ghani 1998, Uddin et al. 2001, 2004, 2006, Khan et al. 2002, Chakma et al. 2003, Rahman et al. 2003). The list of medicinal plants of Chakma people presented in this article is not a complete list. To make a complete list further long term survey is necessary.

Knowledge Management: Journal