Locals want peace restored in CHT

Int’l Day of World’s Indigenous People today

Amid hostilities among local groups in the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT), which has now become the ‘valley of death’, the Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, a platform of ethnic minority groups, is going to celebrate International Day of the World's Indigenous People today.

Leaders of ethnic minority groups said such a situation has developed because the CHT Peace Accord has not been fully implemented in the last 21 years.

But the locals want development and peace in the region at any cost for their survival. They put less emphasis on the issue of their recognition as indigenous people.

Sanjeeb Drong, general secretary of the Bangladesh Indigenous People's Forum, told The Independent that the CHT has turned into a "blood-stained" habitat, as the Peace Accord, signed on December 2, 1997, is yet to be fully implemented. “Certain basic clauses of the peace agreement have not yet been implemented, dividing different groups operating there out of frustration,” he said.

“The government took up programmes for development of infrastructure, agriculture, tourism and education to improve the lifestyle of locals after the peace accord was signed,” he added. Naba Bikram Kishore Tripura, chairman of the Chattogram Hill Tracts Development Board (CHTDB), told this correspondent that the government has implemented development projects worth Tk.12,000 crore in the hills in the last 43 years. “The CHTDB has constructed 1,500km of roads out of a total of 2,500km. The remaining 1,000km would be constructed soon,” he said.

“As per the Prime Minister’s desire,  solar panels worth Tk. 300 crore would be set up in the hills. Under the project, the CHTDB will provide solar panels to 40,000 families,” he added.

Sources in law enforcement agencies said that a long-running battle for supremacy among three armed groups has turned the CHT into a killing field.

A number of activists of the four rival groups—the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF), UPDF Democratic, Parbatya Chottogram Janasanghati Samiti (PCJSS)-Santu  and the PCJSS (reformist)—have been killed in the past 21 years.

The government has so far fully implemented 48 points of the peace deal and 15 points partially. Another nine points of the accord are being implemented.

Sources said there are 318 security camps, including 113 Army camps, in the three hilly areas. The authorities have so far withdrawn 238 Army camps from the areas.

The CHT, spread over 5,093 square miles, covers Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban districts. The region is flanked by two international borders—on the south-east by Myanmar and on the north by India. The region is mostly populated by various tribes like the Jummas, Chakmas, Marmas and the Garos.

Presently, people of the CHT constitute approximately 0.5 per cent of the total population of the country. Density is about 113 per square kilometre, against 1,147 per square kilometre of the country. There are 13 ethnic minorities in the CHT and Chakmas constitute 24.72 per cent of them.

Locals want peace restored in CHT

Intl Day of Worlds Indigenous People today

Amid hostilities among local groups in the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT), which has now become the valley of death, the Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, a platform of ethnic minority groups, is going to celebrate International Day of the Worlds Indigenous People today. Leaders of ethnic minority groups said such a situation has developed because the CHT Peace Accord has not been fully implemented in the last 21 years. But the locals want development and peace in the region at any cost for their survival. They put less emphasis on the issue of their recognition as indigenous people. Sanjeeb Drong, general secretary of the Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum, told The Independent that the CHT has turned into a blood-stained habitat, as the Peace Accord, signed on December 2, 1997, is yet to be fully implemented. Certain basic clauses of the peace agreement have not yet been implemented, dividing different groups operating there out of frustration, he said. The government took up programmes for development of infrastructure, agriculture, tourism and education to improve the lifestyle of locals after the peace accord was signed, he added. Naba Bikram Kishore Tripura, chairman of the Chattogram Hill Tracts Development Board (CHTDB), told this correspondent that the government has implemented development projects worth Tk.12,000 crore in the hills in the last 43 years. The CHTDB has constructed 1,500km of roads out of a total of 2,500km. The remaining 1,000km would be constructed soon, he said. As per the Prime Ministers desire, solar panels worth Tk. 300 crore would be set up in the hills. Under the project, the CHTDB will provide solar panels to 40,000 families, he added. Sources in law enforcement agencies said that a long-running battle for supremacy among three armed groups has turned the CHT into a killing field. A number of activists of the four rival groupsthe United Peoples Democratic Front (UPDF), UPDF Democratic, Parbatya Chottogram Janasanghati Samiti (PCJSS)-Santu and the PCJSS (reformist)have been killed in the past 21 years. The government has so far fully implemented 48 points of the peace deal and 15 points partially. Another nine points of the accord are being implemented. Sources said there are 318 security camps, including 113 Army camps, in the three hilly areas. The authorities have so far withdrawn 238 Army camps from the areas. The CHT, spread over 5,093 square miles, covers Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban districts. The region is flanked by two international borderson the south-east by Myanmar and on the north by India. The region is mostly populated by various tribes like the Jummas, Chakmas, Marmas and the Garos. Presently, people of the CHT constitute approximately 0.5 per cent of the total population of the country. Density is about 113 per square kilometre, against 1,147 per square kilometre of the country. There are 13 ethnic minorities in the CHT and Chakmas constitute 24.72 per cent of them.