The Pankhos (), are a community inhabiting the

Chittagong Hill Tracts The Chittagong Hill Tracts (), often shortened to simply the Hill Tracts and abbreviated to CHT, refers to the three hilly districts within the Chittagong Division in southeastern Bangladesh, bordering India and Myanmar (Burma) in the east: Kh ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

and the western areas of

Mizoram Mizoram is a states and union territories of India, state in northeastern India, with Aizawl as its Capital city, capital and largest city. It shares 722-kilometres (449 miles) of international borders with Bangladesh to the west, and Myanmar t ...

. They have a population of only 1,857 in Bangladesh according to the 2022 census. In Bangladesh, the Pankhos live in

Rangamati Hill District Rangamati District (), officially Rangamati Hill District, is a district in south-eastern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chattogram Division, and the town of Rangamati serves as the headquarters of the district. By area, Rangamati is the larg ...

. The Luseis and Pankhos belong to the '' Kuki-chin-mizo'' group of people. The Lushai Hills, which is now part of Mizoram, is their original homeland. Though the Luseis and Pankhos are identified as separate tribes, they are culturally very close to each other. Though the Luseis do not understand Pankho language, the latter understand the Lusei language. Both the tribes are known for their bravery, honesty and truthfulness.

Geographical distribution

According to the 2022 Bangladeshi census, there are 1,857 Pankho people in Bangladesh. Specifically, 1,398 (75.28%) Phanko live in

Rangamati district Rangamati District (), officially Rangamati Hill District, is a district in south-eastern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chattogram Division, and the town of Rangamati serves as the headquarters of the district. By area, Rangamati is the larg ...

Religion and culture

The Pankhos adopted Christianity during the British period and have adopted western dress and culture.

References

{{Authority control Ethnic groups in Bangladesh Ethnic groups in Northeast India