Will CHT burst out again? An analysis

Dr. Forqan Uddin Ahmed

Dr. Forqan Uddin Ahmed 

The Hill districts in Bangladesh include Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban. These are located in the south-eastern part of the country bordering Myanmar and India. These districts together cover about 10 per cent of the total land area of the country. The population of the hill districts is little over one million that include about 11 different ethnic groups. Soon after the independence of the country in 1971 these groups felt alienated from the mainstream national life and politics out of the fear of losing their distinct identities in the midst of the overwhelming majority of the Bengali speaking population of the country. The other associated fear was losing their lands and habitats in the face of increased settlements of the people coming from the plains.

The CHT Peace Accord was signed in 1997 between the government and the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) with the promise to resolve the crisis in the region through political and peaceful means. To that end, the provisions that were brought into the Accord include: preservation of indigenous features of the CHT region; introduction of a special administrative system comprising the Regional Council and three hill district councils, and devolving political, administrative and economic infrastructures, including general administration, law and order, police, land management, forest and environment, tourism, communication, etc, to these councils; preparing voters' list with the permanent residents to hold elections in the councils; withdrawal of all temporary camps, including the military ones, from the area; resolution of land disputes through land commission; rehabilitation of those who returned from India and internally displaced Jumma people in their respective lands properly, returning their lands to the respective owners; cancellation of leases of lands given to the non-resident people; appointment of permanent residents in all jobs available in the CHT area, prioritising the Jumma people; bringing amendment to all laws and regulations existent in and applicable to the CHT in Accordance with the Accord; and rehabilitation of settler Bengali people outside of the CHT with dignity.

It is clear that the process of fully and properly implementing the CHT Accord is being obstructed by stooge elements from within the Jumma community. Anarchy has been created in the area by allowing conflicts, fighting, killings, abductions, extortions, etc. through sheltering and indulging anti-Accord elements and fundamentalist groups. Needless to say, the Jumma people are discontent because of the non-implementation of the CHT Accord over the years.

Nothing but the non-implementation of the Accord can be held responsible for the situation we see in the CHT—the obstruction in ensuring rights, returning lands, acceding to right to self-determination, and giving employment in Accordance with the Accord.

Though more than two decades have passed since the signing of the peace treaty, it is alleged particularly by the hill districts’ ethnic communities that many of the issues are yet to be resolved as the institutions created under the provisions of the treaty are not being able to discharge their assigned functions and responsibilities due to legal and procedural complications and lack of coordination. However, the government’s responsibility does not end there. It needs to take more concrete steps and development initiatives for confidence building among the ethnic communities of the hill districts. It has been reported that in recent times many of the development projects undertaken by the government in the hill districts have been subjected to resistance especially by the ethnic groups. Many of them consider these initiatives as ploys of the government to ensure increasing settlement of the Bengali speaking people in the region. As such, here one important thing that ought to be remembered that whatever confidence building measures are planned should be undertaken only after due consultation and with the consent of the ethnic groups of the hill districts. Thus it is perceived that only by this way the fears and apprehensions could be dispelled and unity in diversity in the national arena could be achieved in Bangladesh.

It is found from different reports that tribal leaders and armed groups have been directly and indirectly opposing the development of the region and tourism industry in the CHT only to exploit the residents of the region and maintain their supremacy. The members of JSS (original) and UPDF keep on carrying out various criminal activities, including making attacks on tourist vehicles and hijacking to create obstacles to development of the tourism industry in the region and discourage the arrival of tourists. Killings, tortures and injustice, grabbing of lands and wealth and misuse of the state resources had made the region more unstable, she added.

Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, better known as Santu Larma, who heads the Parbatya Chattogram Jana-Samhati Samiti signed the instrument on behalf of the ‘residents of the Chittagong Hill Tracts’. The PCJSS said that resolving the disputes on possession of land by settlers, making the land commission functional, identify non-ethnic permanent residents, placing law and order under local bodies, withdrawing security forces, transferring hill matters to the regional and hill district councils, rehabilitation of returnee ethnic families and general clemency for ethnic individuals charged with secessionist offences before signing the accord were not fully implemented.

Even after 24 years, as most of the terms of accord are yet to be fulfilled. A number of government spokespersons, ministers and bureaucrats have said that among the 72 terms of the accord, 48 are already been implemented, 15 are partially completed and the rest 9 are on the process of implementation. Many of the claims here are not true. The status of Bangladesh in 1997 and today is not the same. Bangladesh has been progressing day by day since the 2nd December of 1997, the day when the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord was signed. This treaty has erased Bangladesh's name from the list of countries which are going through civil war or intra-state conflicts. The international community proclaimed the Accord, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received several international awards for her pro-active effort to end the two decades long bloody battle. The government, therefore, needs to fully implement the peace accord. Only the goodwill of the government can create a political stability in the region. The status of the peace accord should be maintained by resolving unresolved clauses of the accord. It is high time that the government fully implemented the accord. We hope, the government under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will take measures for speedy and wise solution in its implementation process. Only then it is possible to maintain the wellbeing of all people irrespective of tribes and races?

Now the questions arise, will CHT again explode or burst out? Immediate steps need to be taken or measures need to be explored to stop explosion. Moreover, we need to think where is the solution of the crisis and how to stop the agitation of indigenous people? Again, it is needed to assess or assert the criminals, the terrorists and their patrons. The patrons who are adding fuels,

instigating and provoking need to be identified and should come under punishment. After peace accord situation was more or less stable. For the last few years some unhappy things were happening and very recent an unfortunate occurrence has taken a place. Things are not at all the message of peace. Situation need to stabled. Speedy measures in the implementation of the CHT accord can bring peace in the territory. Besides, Strong social movement can impede the sudden explosion of the hill terrorists. Finally, it is the government and tribal leaders who can solve the CHT crisis. We are hopeful of getting happy day in CHT by the cordial efforts of tribal leaders and governments.

(The writer is a Former Deputy Director General, Bangladesh Ansar VDP; Columnist and Researcher. Opinion expressed in this article are of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this online newspaper.)