Govt's lack of interest main barrier

Parbatya Chattagram Janasanghati Samity (PCJSS) President Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma has mainly blamed the lack of interest on the part of successive governments for the failure to implement the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord in the last 19 years.

"The government claims it has implemented 48 out of 72 sections of the CHT accord. But in reality, the number is only 25. Publicising such false information proves that the government is not interested in fully implementing the agreement,” he said.

Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, also known as Santu Larma, was speaking at a press conference yesterday at a hotel in the capital to mark the 19th anniversary of the accord signing.    

Following two decades of conflict, the PCJSS, an organisation of the indigenous communities in the CHT, and the then Awami League-led government signed the agreement on December 2, 1997.

Blaming the government for the uncertainty over the full implementation of the accord, the PCJSS chief, in a written speech, said the Jumma people would be compelled to find an “alternative way" to save their existence if the accord remained unimplemented, and it is the government who would have to take the responsibility for any untoward situation.

Asked about that alternative way, he said it could be anything like raising opinion of the public and the leftist politicians of the country in their favour.

Santu said his organisation would continue their non-cooperation movement declared in 2014 based on their 10-point programme.

Pointing to several unimplemented sections of the accord, he said those were obstructing the full implementation.

He said even though the agreement was signed 19 years ago, the Jumma people were yet to get the full charge of the CHT regional and three district councils.

The other barriers include the failure to close down the temporary camps in the CHT, solve land disputes, reform different laws relevant in the region and relocate settlers outside the hill tracts.

"In the last 19 years, six governments were in power, but none of them came forward with the political will to fulfil the basic issues of the accord,” said Larma, who is also the chairman of the regional council.

Pointing to several development projects in the CHT, he alleged that in the name of such projects and reserve forests and rubber cultivation, a section of people are grabbing the land of indigenous people.

He said instead of the rule of the regional and district councils, an authoritarian rule has been prevailing in the hill tracts. In the face of this, those councils have become useless, he said.

Replying to a question, Santu said although the CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission Act, 2001 has been amended, it is hard to be implemented as “the act has no regulations”.

He said the land commission, established following the act, has received 15,969 applications for settlement of land disputes.

He also focused on setting up two separate offices of the commission in Rangamati and Bandarban and immediate appointment of required manpower there.

At the programme, Columnist Syed Abul Maksud said people make an accord when its implementation is possible. The accord signing was a great achievement of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina but the agreement is yet to be implemented fully.

Sanjib Drong, general secretary of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, and right activists Numan Ahmed Khan were also present.