The leaders of the Paharl Chhatra Parishad (PCP-pro-Sanchoy) in a statement yesterday criticised the government s reported move to rehabilitate the persons who had served as members in the hill district councils during the Ershad and Khaleda Zia regimes.

Dipty Shankar Chakma and Dipayan Khisa. president and general secretary of the PCP respec tively said "the government's decision to retain the district council system on an ad hoc basis" is against the wishes of the hill people.

They said such a step would force the hill people to launch a movement for annulling the system.