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Govt on right track of accord implementation

Says Menon

Rashidul Hasan
The government has so far been on the right track in implementing the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord, but the pace of its implementation has to be stepped up, said Workers Party of Bangladesh chief Rashed Khan Menon.
Menon, who was a member of the parliamentary committee on CHT in the fifth parliament, however expressed the hope the incumbent government will fully implement the agreement within its tenure as it is moving to that end.
He also pointed the major weakness of the accord saying it has no constitutional guarantee and the power of the CHT regional councils has not yet been clarified.
The president of Workers Party, a partner of the Awami League-led grand alliance government, said this while talking to The Daily Star at his party office on Topkhana Road in the capital.
On the army pullout from CHT, Menon said, "1 undoubtedly support the move.
"Those who say law and order has been deteriorated since the army pullout are absolutely wrong and it has been proved already."
Menon also said withdrawal of army camps is not enough, the government will have to withdraw the "hidden rule of army" from the
hill tracts.
Explaining the "hidden rule”, he said, "Though there was no military rule in hill tracts we all know that everything there was controlled by the army. It is called hidden rule of army and it has to be removed."
On the issue of concern about the "worsening" relations between Bangalees and indigenous people after signing of the CHT accord, he said those who opposed the agreement are responsible for it.
"The fundamentalist elements led by Jamaat-e-Islami with the assistance of BNP, who opposed the CHT accord, created confusion and mistrust among the indigenous and Bangalees people," he added.
On the accord, he said 25 years of bloodshed and armed conflicts that wreaked havoc on the lives of the peaceful hill people came to a stop through signing of it.
He went on to say Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban, three most beautiful districts of the country, are finally at peace. Refugees who had migrated outside the country have returned and reunited with their near and dear ones.
Considering these facts, the peace accord undoubtedly was a milestone achievement in solving the CHT conflicts politically, Menon observed.
"It is true that the accord could not satisfy all concerned. As you know the then opposition BNP opposed it strongly. They criticised the country will lose control on CHT once the agreement is implemented," hesaid.
"The then Awami League government therefore went slow to implement the accord and could not implement its major points during their three-year tenure after
signing it."
Menon added." They [AL] also had to face obstacles on the point of constitutional acceptance of the accord, which was also a major cause behind the delay."
Another big factor was the attitude of army, who ruled CHT areas for long, about the peace accord, he observed.
It is good that the .AL government after coming to power has taken initiatives to implement the accord. It has already formed a national committee and a taskforce to look after the implementation process. The Land Commission has also started its work, "hesaid.
"I will say that possibility has been created now to bring pace in the implementation process of the accord which became slow once," Menon added.