Leaders of the Chattogram Hill Tracts Accord Implementation Movement on Monday demanded a national dialogue and an effective roadmap from the interim government for the implementation of the accord.
They have come up with the demand through a press conference held at the National Press Club in the capital on Monday morning marking the 28th anniversary of the Hill Tracts Accord.
At the press conference, the leaders also called for building a greater national unity to implement the accord.
But, they alleged protracted delays and political apathy in the implementation of the Hill Tracts Accord.
Moderated by Dipayan Khisa, a member of the Chattogram Hill Tracts Accord Implementation Movement, the function was chaired by Joint Coordinator and Dhaka University teacher Professor Khairul Islam Chowdhury.
Zakir Hossain, Joint Coordinator of the Chattogram Hill Tracts Accord Implementation Movement, Shamsul Huda, Executive Director of ALRD, Pranab Kumar Biswas, a member of the Accord Implementation Movement, Deepak Shil, former president of Bangladesh Chhatra Union, leaders of Bangladesh Youth Union, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front and Pahari Chhatra Parishad, among others were present.
At the press conference, the leaders opined that it is important to prioritise the implementation of the accord in the manifestos of all political parties for the sake of lasting peace in the hills, protection of human rights and national stability.
Zakir Hossain, joint coordinator of the Chattogram Hill Tracts Accord Implementation Movement and CEO of the Citizen Initiative, read out a written statement at the press conference.
He said, "After independence, the Jumma indigenous people of the Hill Tracts region have been deprived of political rights and opportunities for cultural development for a long time due to denial of identity in the constitution. The historic accord signed in 1997 to end the armed conflict was supposed to pave the way for self-determination, land rights and local governance for indigenous peoples, but even after 28 years, the basic provisions of the accord have not been implemented in practice.
While the reconstruction of the accord implementation and monitoring committee has raised hopes, the postponement of the Land Dispute Resolution Commission meeting and the halting of the task force's activities are of deep concern, said Chief Executive Zakir Hossain.
He said that this is indirectly giving an opportunity to communal forces. The complications in the appointment of teachers in the Rangamati Hill District Council were also cited as a result of the delay in implementing the accord.
Three demands were made at the press conference. The demands are to organize a national dialogue to implement the accord, announce an effective roadmap and take visible steps, and include the implementation of the accord as a priority in the manifestos of all political parties for the 13th National Parliament election.
ALRD Executive Director Shamsul Huda said, ‘The July 24 mass uprising is a source of pride for the country, which has created a pledge to rebuild Bangladesh. But despite some positive steps taken by the interim government, the rights of indigenous and marginalized communities have been neglected in the reform commissions. The government’s failure to form the Land, Agriculture and Education Reform Commission is a major failure. There is still time to overcome this failure. That is why I have appeared before journalists demanding the implementation of the Hill Tracts Accord.’
Shamsul Huda expressed hope that if an effective roadmap is prepared with the constructive role of the army, national dialogue and participation of all, the path to peace and democracy in the hills will be strengthened.
In his closing speech at the press conference, Khairul Islam Chowdhury, Joint Coordinator of the Chattogram Hill Tracts Accord Implementation Movement and Professor of Sociology at Dhaka University, said that the Chattogram Hill Tracts issue has never received due importance in the mainstream democratic discussions of the country; rather, it has been neglected for a long time. He said, the problem of the Chattogram Hill Tracts is not a regional one; It is deeply linked to the political situation, democracy and human rights of the entire Bangladesh. He called for prioritizing the implementation of the Hill Tracts Accord as a national issue, a joint initiative of political parties, a national dialogue and a part of the new democratic settlement.
