Civil society platform Nagarik Samaj called for thorough fulfilment of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord and the continuation of Chittagong Hill Tracts Regulation, 1900, which has recently been put under scrutiny by a particular group.
The platform made the call in statement issued on Wednesday.
The statement praised the signing of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord in 1997 between the Bangladesh government and the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS). They also applauded the prime minister’s efforts and goodwill towards supporting the accord.
Dhaka University professor emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury, human rights activist and jurist Hameeda Hossain, lawyer and human rights activist Sultana Kamal, Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission Mizanur Rahman, Nijera Kori Coordinator Khushi Kabir and 22 more prominent individuals signed the statement.
“It is a matter of great regret that the prime minister’s well-intended directions were not implemented due to red tapism,” the statement said. It continued to explain that the necessary steps to execute the Chittagong Hill Tracts Land Dispute Resolution Commission Act are being prevented by bureaucratic issues.
Moreover, a particular group is conspiring to question how effective the Chittagong Hill-tracts Regulation, 1900 is, despite the regulation being ruled so by Bangladesh Supreme Court Appellate division years ago.
According to the rule, the Chittagong Hill-tracts Regulation, 1900 is in no way discordant to the constitution of Bangladesh.
The statement called for action from the government to stop any malicious attempt to question or invalidate the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regulation, 1900.
“If the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord of 1997 and the adjacent Chittagong Hill-tracts Regulation, 1900 are not realised to their full potential, then the government and the state’s good image gained by the signing of the accord will be tarnished in the international arena; especially the United Nations (UN). We cannot stand this travesty,” the statement concluded.
