Politicians and intellectuals in a statement yesterday demanded that former army chief Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury relinquish the charge of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Affairs ministry.

In the statement, they alleged that Hasan Mashhud, who once served as a brigade chief in the hill tracts, has been made the CHT affairs adviser in violation of the peace accord that ended decadeslong unrest in the region.

CHT Regional Council Chairman Santu Larma, who signed the accord with the then government in 1997, said a competent person from the tribal community should head the CHT affairs ministry as mandated by the peace agreement.

Torture and repression are still on in the hills, read the statement.

It also called for removal of former lawmaker of Khagrachhari from the post of CHT Development Board chairman and said the responsibilities should be handed over to Santu Larma.

Communist Party of Bangladesh President Monzurul Ahsan Khan, indigenous leader Sanjeeb Drong, Santal community leader Rabindranath Soren, Professor Ajay Roy, journalists Prafulla Bhakta, Arun Karmakar and Golam Murtaza were among the signatories to the statement.