& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

CHT peace accord not being implemented properly

Trust between tribals and non-tribals missing

By Special Correspondent
The implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) peace accord depends on building mutual trust among tribal and non-tribal people, backed by massive development There Is also a need for constitutional guarantee to back the accord with preservation of cultural identity and ethnicity of all people.
This was the consensus at a dialogue on Peace Building in the Chittagong Hill Tracts jointly organised by The Daily Star.Centre for Alternatives. Dhaka and Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BUSS) in the
city yesterday.
Held at the BUSS auditorium. (he day-long dialogue was joined by a cross-section ol people -- a minister, political leaders, intellectuals, academics. retired military officers. former civil servants and diplomats, activists and journalists.
Syed Fahim M unaim Managing Editor of The Daily Star, was the moderator in the first session chaired by Maj Gen .Jamil D Ahsan. Director General of the BUSS. Prof Dr Imtiaz Ahmed ol Dhaka University presented the key note paper, initiating a lively
discussion.
The second session was chaired by Dr Anwar Hossain. Director General of Bangla Academy. MA Sabur of BUSS presented the key note papT
The participants in the dia • logue Included Abul Hasan Chowdhury. State Minister for Foreign Affairs: Dipankar Talukder MP. Chairman of the Task Force for Refugees in the CHT with the status of a state minister: Prof Maniruzzaman Mia. lormer vice chancellor ol Dhaka University: Mujlbul Huq. lormer cabinet sec retary: Rezaul Karim, former ambassador; Secretary of CHT Affairs
Ministry Sakhawat Hossain, Maj Gen (rtd) Azizur Rahman, former commander of the 24th Division based in Chittagong: Maj Gen (rtd) Mohamamd Ibrahim, JSD leader Hasanul Haq Inu, Dr Mizan Khan ol BUSS, Tajul Islam Hashmi of Independent University, prof Mesbah Kamal of Dhaka University, Prof Masuda Khan. Dr Masum of Jahamngir Nagar University, retired civil servant Abdul Hannan, retired teacher Shamstll Huq, Maj Gen (rtd) Z A Khan Brigadier (rtd) Sakhawat. Group Captain (rtd) Dastagir. major (rtd) Kamrul. Lt Col (rtd) Manish Dewan and Mithun Chakma, a leader of Paharl Chhatra Parlshad.
At the outset, Maj Gen Jamil Ahsan gave a resume of the CHT situation since the signing of the peace accord to end Insurgency Building mutual confl -deuce Is the key to resolution of the vexing land issue, and ending political tussle is the most crucial aspect of the peace process, he noted.
Dr Imtiaz Ahmed listed a number of contentious Issues and successes of the peace accord He pointed out that an Issue that was a taboo earlier could now lie discussed openly He wondered why the government tried to stop people from attending a ‘peace audit on CHT In Bangkok in 1998.
Abul Hasan Chowdhury said confidence building measures are far more powerful than In -ter-conthiental ballistic missiles and noted that for the success of the peace accord In CHT . a change in the mindset needed.
He dismissed criticism of the peace accord and said It was a success for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and that was recognised by the UNESCO. "The accord was signed without involvement of the third party. It's not a question of a few. but 70.000 refugees who returned home after years in refugee camps".
He said there are problems 'but let us turn those into potential for development by resolv -
Ing those'. The accord was signed with due respect to sovereignty and the < Constitution.
The state minister further said all should try to 'leave the baggage of the past behind' and let the accord be implemented with people of all culture and faith living together in harmony.
Dipankar Talukder reported that rehabilitation of the Internally Displaced Persons (1DP) would begin this year.The Task Force set up to see rehabilitation of the refugees and IDPs have just completed a list of 128.364 families including 38. 156 families from Bangalee community who are permanent residents of the CHT.
The list has been sent to the government for taking proper steps . He also said that since then 62 army camps have been withdrawn from the CHT. Another eight were being rolled back
Talukder noted that as per the demilitarisation process, police are being trained to ensure law and order, replacing the army.
The Land Commission In the CHT could not function because of legal tangles concerning two Rajas or Circle Chiefs in Bandarban and Khagrachharl. Talukder said
No one is being displaced for the afforestation programme in CHT, Talukder said, dismissing criticisms in this regard.
Syed Fahlm Munaim summing up said that a constltu -tiona) guarantee and national consensus were required for implementation of the peace accord. Good governance, development work, providing a boost to economy and upholding of cultural heritage were also the pre-requisites for building peace in the CHT. he
added
Hasanul Huq Inu said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has corrected the mistakes made by her father the then Prime Minister Sheikh Mujlbur Rahman in 1972. All leaders after Mujib had aggravated the situation by ignoring the backward small nationalities without guaranteeing their constitutional rights.
He also complained that the peace accord was not being implemented due to absence of functioning of the land commission and accountability of the administration.
Rezaul Karim said the CHT border along Myanmar and India should not be left unprotected by withdrawing the army.
Major General (rtd) Azlzur Rahman said there should be a white paper on the CHT on every ones role. Including that of the Shantlbahini . He defended the army while dispelling critics demanding their withdrawal. The army acts under order from the government, he said..
Major Genral (rtd) Ibrahim called for a ‘truth commission' as in South Africa.
‘Abdus Sabur said there should be lesser government participation and called for bridging the differences between the tribals and non-trib-als..
Prof Imtiaz Ahmed observed that demographlcally. the situation in the CHT could not be changed. He also cited many problems besetting the people there like lack of land records and destruction of reserve forests and called for and end to those.
Syed Anwar Hossain called for forgetting the past and go forward with a consensus for peace and development.'