Desk Report: Full scale implenetation of historic Chittagong Hill Tracts accord is urgent for establishing standing peace in three hill districts. Without proper execution of the deal, permanent peace can never be established. Current prime minister is very sincere for keeping her commitment through fully execution of of the agreement. Unfortunately, True and correct information about the treaty is not being conveyed to her. So, it has been getting long delay in its execution process. New problems are being created and problems are also created by the anti-peace elements. As a result, peaceful co-existence among communities in hills is deteriorating day by day and a vested quarter is hatching a deep conspiracy to keep the deal invalid.      

Dignitaries of Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari were speaking at a discussion meeting organised on the occasion of silver jubilee of CHT Regional Council (CHTRC). CHTRC authority organised it at the conference room of Rangamati Hill District Council on May 27.

Kujendra Lal Tripura, state minister for CHT affairs ministry, as a chief guest, said peaceful situtation has not been made yet in hills. So, people from one district to another and even within the own district can’t move freely. They couldn’t tell about their fundamental rights due to pressure from different quarters.

About the accord, Kujendra said people in hills might have grievance, grudge and egotism as the landmark CHT treaty has not been implemented fully in the past 27 years. By bearing in mind this touchiness, we can’t sit idle and need to be worked together for greater interest, he said.

He further said that those who are working in the peace processes since the very start, they have to be more enduring and attentive. The accord must be entirely executed while they are still alive. If not so, it will lose it importance, added Kujendra.

Presiding over the meeting, Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, popularly known as Santu Larma, said the CHTRC is being kept invalid and good-for-noting. Execution of the agreement has stalled. He said no need to take any example anew about the disquiet situation of the region. Conspiracies are being made from all sides to forget the treaty, he said.

Former guerrilla leader of defunct Shantibahini and chief of Parbatya Chattgram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS), Santu Larma, also said the reality in hills is—there is a tripartite system of governance in hills is being prevailed—CHT affairs ministry, military authority and CHT regional council and three hill district councils. One thing is very painful and no one dare to tell it—there is martial law and military dominance in hills where civil administration is totally helpless, alleged Santu, adding the first and formost setback in the execution process of the deal is martial law and military dominace.

Santu further said indigenous people are being harassed, tortured, oppressed and suppressed in a multiple ways, and they are disappointed and aggrieved due to non-implementation of the accord. They want their rights, they want to live with dignity, added Larma.

As special guest, Rashed Khan Menon MP, said conpiracy is being hatched with the CHT and a divided-and-rule policy is applied here.

Chakma circle chief Raja barrister Devashis Roy said conspiracy has been started against the CHT regulation 1900 in which the entire region stands on it. A review pitition has been filed with higher court by the two oudsiders who have no permanent addresses in hills demanding dissolving of regulation. Attorney general has begun to work on it to dissolve important subjects from it, pointed out Devashis.

He said annulment of the regulation is tantamount to denying the peace accord, and denying the country as a pluralist state.

The people in CHT will not sit idle if the regulation is scrapped, and they will take to the street for massive agitation, warned Chakma Raja.

Echoing the same, chief of Mong Circle, Raja Saching Prue Chowdhury, said the people in hills will not tolerate if conspiracy is done with the regulation. If needed, tougher agitation will be launched to maitain our rights, warned Saching Prue.

Chairman of Bandarban Hill District Council, Kya Shwe Hla, said there are anti-peace elements from home and abroad are working to destroy the amity and destabilise the peaceful situation in the hills. Referring, Kya Shwe Hla said there were 42 youths from local Bawm community in Bandarban had been given arms training elsewhere in the country in 2018. Of them 40 trained youths were sent to Bandarban and those youths are operating their terrorist activities against the Chakma and sometimes against the Marma. As a result, a disquiet situation has been created in Bandraban. He urged all to work together for the interst of full implementation of the accord.

President of CHT Citizen Committee, Goutam Dewan, said there are many troubles or shortages have been made as the accord has not executed fully in the past more than two decades. Fundamental clauses of the treaty including resolution of land dispute are remained unimplemented. Rather, conspiray is going on to make the accord questionalbe to all, added Goutam.

Member of National Human Rights Commission and former chairman of Khagrachhari Hill District Council, Kongjori Chowdhury, said whenever CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission is called meeting in hills then a group of people without any instigation announced strike, hartal or road blockade against it. So, land commission everytime could not sit in a meeting in such a disturbance situation. As a result, the commission remained dysfuctional since the beginning. “I don’t know why the vested quarter is more powerful than the government,” questioned Kongjori.    

The meeting was also addressed, among others, by CHT Refugee affairs Taskforce chairman Sudatta Bikash Chakma, CHT Development Board chairman Supradip Chakma, Rangamati Hill District Coucnil Chairman Aungsuiprue Chowdhury, rights activist Nirupa Dewan, Jumlian Amlai, CHTRC member Nurul Alam and Shishir Chakma.

Goutam Kumar Chakma, member of CHTRC, made the welcome speech.