Khumi people


The Khumis 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, though there are another 120,000 across the border in Burma.

History

Among the ethnic groups in Chittagong Hill Tracts the Khumis were the war like people. Earlier they were very often engaged in internecine or intertrinal warfare with the Bawms and the Mros. The Khumis originally lived in Arakan; however, after a fierce battle between them and the Mro, the latter were defeated and fled to the Chittagong Hill Tracts. But later the Khumis themselves entered Chittagong Hill Tracts after being defeated by Arakan.
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."

Geographical distribution

According to the 2022 Bangladeshi census, there are 3,780 Khumi in Bangladesh. They mainly concentrated in Bandarban District with 3287 population.
UpazilaPopulationPercentage who are Khumi
Thanchi Upazila1,8296.14%
Ruma Upazila8902.74%
Rowangchhari Upazila4361.57%
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.