Bangladesh’s tribal inhabitants consisted of 897,828 peoples, just over 1 percent of the total inhabitants, at the time of the 1981 census. The Bangladeshi population is comparatively homogeneous and consists of about 98% ethnic Bengali as well as a variety of tribal groups, generally in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and in the regions of Mymensingh, Sylhet, and Rajshahi. The greater part of the tribal population (778,425) lived in rural areas, where many practiced shifting farming. Most tribal people were of SinoTibetan descent and had idiosyncratic Mongoloid features. They spoke Tibeto-Burman languages. In the mid-1980s, the percentage allocation of tribal population by religion was Hindu 24, Buddhist 44, Christian 13, and others 19.

Urdu speaking people: There are approximately 300,000 Urdu-speaking people in Bangladesh, considered as refugees from the 1947 religious riots in Eastern India. They were Muslims and sought refuge in East Pakistan, and were settled Pakistani citizenship. However, this status became disputed once East Pakistan seceded to become Bangladesh. They are casually referred to as Biharis because most of them are from the Indian state of Bihar; a formal term is “Stranded Pakistani”.

The Chakmas: The Chakmas are the biggest tribe of Bangladesh. The Chakmas are of mixed derivation but replicate more Bengali influence than any other tribe. The Chakmas commonly lived in the highland valleys. a good number Chakmas are Buddhists, but some practice Hinduism or animism. The Chakmas ( Chakma or ), also known as the Changma, are a population that inhabits the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh and the North-East India. The Chakmas are the prime ethnic group in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, making up more than half the tribal population. Chakmas are separated into 46 clans or Gozas. A tribal cluster called Tangchangya is also considered to be a branch of the Chakma people. Both tribes speak the same language, have the same customs and culture, and profess the same religion, Theravada Buddhism

The Marmas (or Maghs): The Marmas are of Burmese (Myanmar) lineage. The Marmas regarded Burma (Myanmar) as the core of their cultural life. Members of the Marma tribe dislike the more broadly used term Maghs, which had come to mean pirates. The Marmas also live in the highland valleys. Although several religions, including Islam, are represented among the Marmas, almost all of the Marmas are Buddhists.

The Tipperas (or Tipras): The Tipperas are almost all Hindus and account for virtually the entire Hindu population of the Chittagong Hills. They had migrated gradually from the northern Chittagong Hills. The northern Tipperas were inclined by Bengali culture.

The Mros (Mrus or Moorangs): The Mros are considered the original population of the Chittagong Hills. They lived on valleys and often fortified their villages. They had no written language of their own, but some could read the Burmese and Bangla scripts. Most of them claimed to be Buddhists, but their religious practices were largely animistic.

Other Tribes: There are also several tribal groups in other parts of the country. Santals are residents of Rajshahi and Dinajpur. Khasis, Garos, and Khajons in Mymensingh and Sylhet regions.

Different tribal groups differed in their social association, marriage customs, foods, birth and death and other social customs and norms from the inhabitants of the rest of the country. They have somehow managed to resist centuries of migration and in the process have retained their own customs, traditions and life.