Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury on Thursday informed parliament that Bangladesh has 50 gazetted ethnic communities with a combined population of 1.65 million, accounting for around one per cent of the country's total population.
The figures are based on the preliminary report of the Population and Housing Census 2022, which counted both scheduled and other ethnic communities, the minister said.
Among the ethnic communities, the Chakma are the largest group, accounting for 29.29 per cent of the total ethnic population, or 483,299 people.
The Marma community constitutes 13.59 per cent of the ethnic population, with 224,261 people, while the Tripura community accounts for 9.49 per cent, or 156,578 people.
The Santal community represents 7.82 per cent of the ethnic population, numbering 129,049.
According to the minister, Chattogram Division is home to the largest concentration of ethnic community members, with a population of 990,860.
Of the total ethnic population, 22.60 per cent reside in Rangamati district, amounting to 372,864 people, while 21.17 per cent live in Khagrachhari, with a population of 349,378.
Bandarban is home to around 12 per cent of the country's ethnic population, totalling 197,975 people, he added.
