Implementation, only if PM wants
The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) peace accord would be implemented only if “the person holding all the power in the country” takes an initiative with the stakeholders, said Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, president of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS).
“The government was compelled to sign the accord with PCJSS [in 1997]. Now it seems we would again have to make them implement it,” said the PCJSS chief, popularly known as Santu Larma, at a discussion yesterday.
With the support of rights organisation Manusher Jonno Foundation, Bangladesh Indigenous People's Forum (BIPF) and Kapaeeng Foundation jointly organised the programme titled “Strengthening special administrative institutions in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in line with the CHT accord” at the auditorium of The Daily Star.
Santu Larma there pointed out civil and military bureaucracy as the main obstacle to the implementation of the accord. PCJSS did everything as it was required to do to comply with the accord but the government has been delaying its implementation in fear of vested interests opposing the accord.
“The deprived people in CHT will not sit idle if the government continues to delay the implementation of the accord. And it would not be wise for the government to consider them weak,” he said, warning of the non-cooperation movement against the government from May 1 next year if it did not give a roadmap as to how the accord would be implemented within a timeframe.
The local government would be empowered only if the central government is democratic and progressive. But here the government is not democratic enough and it does not allow local government institutions to be strong and functional, said Santu Larma.
The government should implement the accord without any further delay as it will serve the nation's interest, said Sanjeeb Drong, general secretary of the Indigenous People's Forum while delivering his welcome speech at the discussion.
Ushatun Talukder, MP from Rangamati and a leader of PCJSS, said the organisation members had talked to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina several times over the issue and she seemed very much sincere in implementing the accord.
“We have seen in many cases that the prime minister is capable of making decisions fast and implementing them. But it's taking too long to implement the peace accord,” he added.
The government signed the peace accord and now it is its responsibility to implement it, said Pir Fazlur Rahman, MP.
Indigenous people also fought during the Liberation War, said Prof Sadeka Halim, member of the Information Commission, but whenever they tried to realise their fundamental rights, they were threatened.
“But still I believe, if somebody could implement the CHT peace accord, it would be none other than present Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” Sadeka said.
“We take pride in saying that Bangladesh is a diverse country. But we could not live with them [indigenous people] peacefully and failed to ensure their rights,” said Shaheen Anam, executive director of Manusher Jonno Foundation.
Bangalees have been carrying out violence against indigenous women just to grab their land and none of the perpetrators has been punished for their crimes, she added.
The government keeps saying it will implement the accord that was signed 17 years ago. Now the question is how much more time will be needed for its implementation, said Sohrab Hasan, deputy editor of Bangla daily Prothom Alo.
Robayet Ferdous, associate professor, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism of Dhaka University, presented the keynote speech on “Peace versus non-cooperation movement” while Binotamoy Dhamai, joint secretary of the Indigenous People's Forum, moderated it and Rabindranath Soren, chairperson of Kapaeeng Foundation chaired the programme.
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