Include CHT accord in polls manifesto
Speakers at a dialogue yesterday called upon political parties to include the agenda of implementing the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord in their election manifestos.
The speakers expressed their discontent with the peace accord not being fully implemented even after 26 years and demanded its quick implementation.
"The political parties competing in the upcoming election have to include the agenda of implementing the CHT peace accord in their manifestos, and the party that will form the next government must announce a time-bound roadmap for the next 365 days on how to implement the treaty," said Prof Mizanur Rahman, former chairman of Bangladesh Human Rights Commission.
He made the remark while addressing a national-level dialogue on "Strengthening the implementation process of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord" as the chief guest.
The dialogue was organised by Kapaeeng Foundation in support of the Embassy of France to Bangladesh at The Daily Star Centre yesterday.
Mentioning that the state is repressing the indigenous communities, Mizaur said, "Democracy, a core element of a state, consists of two things. One is no discrimination against its citizens, and the other is effective inclusivity."
To end the repression and bring about effective inclusion of indigenous communities, the state must listen to the voices of indigenous people, he said.
Prof Mesbah Kamal of Dhaka University said whenever the indigenous people wanted their constitutional recognition, they were labelled as separatists.
Mesbah, also a coordinator of the Parliamentary Caucus for Indigenous People and Minorities, said, "Look at Canada, Norway, and other developed countries. They have recognised their indigenous communities. Were they termed separatists?"
He said the state is indirectly repressing the indigenous communities as the CHT Peace Accord is not fully implemented yet.
The crisis in CHT will have to be solved politically through the lenses of plurality and democracy and by addressing the communities' deprivation, he added.
"The CHT Regional Council and Land Commission only exist on paper. As these institutions were not made functional and empowered, the indigenous people are deprived of their land rights," said Advocate Chanchu Chakma, a member of the CHT Regional Council.
Besides, an inter-ministerial committee was formed bypassing the three-member monitoring committee, which is a complete violation of the peace accord, he added.
Pallab Chakma, executive director of Kapaeeng Foundation, moderated the event.
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