25 years of CHT peace accord: A glorious chapter of conflict resolution in Bangladesh

By Kamal Uddin Mazumder*
Conflicts between the Bangladesh army and Shanti Bahini persisted in the Chittagong Hill Tracts for more than two decades. On December 2, 1997, Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) and the Bangladeshi government signed the CHT Accord, putting an end to the violent armed conflict and improving the life of a lot of the people there. It has been made possible through just seven meetings under the worthy leadership of Sheikh Hasina. The historic peace agreement created an atmosphere of peace in the mountainous region. An atmosphere of peace has been established by ending the armed conflict.
The geographical features and ethnic diversity of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) are distinctive. The 13,184 square kilometer territory is bordered by Myanmar and the Indian state of Mizoram on the East and Tripura on the North. With its 1.6 million people, it entails great importance to Bangladesh for its geopolitical location. Due to the conflict-prone Northeast India, the Rohingya issue, the insurgent war, and the Bay of Bengal, it is also situated in one of the world's most unstable sub-regions. The ethnic insurgent conflict began in the late 1970s and lasted for more than 25 years.
After years of peace talks, the landmark Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Treaty was signed during the first tenure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The successful political settlement of the Chittagong Hill Tracts problem in the regional and international arena at the same time as the signing of the Peace Treaty is a rare achievement for our country. For this reason, Sheikh Hasina's receipt of the UNESCO award was Bangladesh's unique recognition for establishing peace. After the agreement, peace has been established in the entire hill region as well as an opportunity for fair economic and political development to accelerate considerably. The necessity of implementing the Peace Accord has been noted from the remarkable examples of successful management of various socio-economic development activities over the last 25 years.
Several steps have been taken in the last 25 years to implement the peace accord. The Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs and Regional Council has been constituted. Out of the three hill district councils and 33 offices under control, 30 have been transferred to Rangamati, 30 to Khagrachari and 28 to Bandarban. Land Commission has been formed to resolve land disputes. 12 thousand 223 tribal refugee families have been resettled.
Under the leadership of the deputy leader of the Parliament, the monitoring committee for the implementation of the mountain agreement has been formed. Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chittagong Hill Tracts has been formed. Ethnic Cultural Institutions Bill-2010 has been accepted by the National Parliament. Minority Cultural Institutes have been established in three hill districts. Scheduled quota preference has been given to ethnic groups in employment in various departments. Quota is being reserved for ethnic groups in various educational institutions.
Necessary amendments have been made to Chittagong Hill Regional Parishad, Zilla Parishad and Chittagong Hill Parishad Act. The Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board Act 2014 has been passed by the National Parliament by repealing the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board Ordinance issued in 1976. There were no land laws and regulations. The Land Dispute Settlement Act 2001 was enacted and the Act was amended in 2016.
Chittagong Hill Tracts has also developed socio-economically. A lot of development work is going on. In the fiscal year 1997-98, the development budget in the Chittagong Hill Tracts was Tk 50.57 crore, and in the fiscal year 2017-18, Tk 915.83 crore has been allocated. Two thousand 899 km of power lines have been constructed in three hill districts. A project is under implementation to provide solar power facilities to 5,500 such households where power supply through the national grid is not possible due to remoteness.
Before the peace treaty, there was only 200 km of roads in the mountainous region. Ruma and Thanchi upazilas had no bridge over Sangu river. Now under the supervision of the Ministry of Communications, under the management of the Roads and Highways Department, the Bangladesh Army has constructed a significant number of roads and bridges-culverts of various sizes in remote areas of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. After the peace treaty, 1,532 kilometers of paved roads and important bridges have been constructed. About 105 km of roads are under construction and the current government has plans to build about 860 km of roads.
After the peace agreement, telecommunication, mobile phone network coverage, and internet system have been improved in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, which was almost non-existent before the peace agreement. In light of the agreement, agriculture, health, ethnic groups' own language, education, and culture as well as several areas have been made suitable for tourism in the hill district.
Old age allowance, widow allowance, destitute disabled allowance, and education stipend are available under the social security programme. It has been possible to alleviate poverty and improve the quality of life under the 'Ekti Bari Ekti Khamar' project. Apart from this, hundreds of families have been rehabilitated through the shelter project.
Chittagong Hill Tracts' journey from conflict to peace is not without its pitfalls. Various clandestine activities against peace are increasing violence and terrorism. As a result, two issues of 'peace agreement' and 'permanent peace' have become important again in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Because the work of establishing peace is an ongoing process, which has to be carried forward through constant practices and activities. Various organizations of the government, social institutions, etc. have to work continuously for this purpose. The pace of peace has to be accelerated by creating an enabling environment and infrastructure 'for peace' by maintaining trust, faith, amity, security, and mutual understanding in civil society.
The 'Agreement' is an important step towards lasting peace. Its importance is immense. Besides, it is essential to look at the issues that disrupt peace and security that have gradually developed with the changing times. For this, the government and the hill associations must work together. The various agencies of the government should be fully alert, and vigilant about overt and covert activities harmful to peace, security, and public interest and take a proactive role for security and peace.
Permanent peace in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, an important part of Bangladesh, is the expectation of all. The fire of unrest is dangerous to all and the evils of unrest are terrible and harmful. In the past, unrest at home and abroad has had dire consequences. As a result, there is no alternative to working together around the clock to build peace. It is better to move towards a lasting peace based on dialogue and peaceful co-existence with all concerned, not violence.
The trend of peace, development, and progress has been initiated and continues against the backdrop of the peace agreement under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In this continuation, Chittagong Hill Tracts will become a region of peace and development. On the anniversary of the agreement, this is the hope of everyone.
---
*Researcher and Strategic affairs analyst, Dhaka

Comments

1857 War of Independence... when Hindu-Muslim separatism, hatred wasn't an issue

"The Sepoy Revolt at Meerut", Illustrated London News, 1857 By Shamsul Islam* Large sections of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs unitedly challenged the greatest imperialist power, Britain, during India’s First War of Independence which began on May 10, 1857; the day being Sunday. This extraordinary unity, naturally, unnerved the firangees and made them realize that if their rule was to continue in India, it could happen only when Hindus and Muslims, the largest two religious communities were divided on communal lines.

The curious case of multiple entries of a female voter of Maharashtra: What ECI's online voter records reveal

By Venkatesh Nayak* Cyberspace is agog with data, names and documents which question the reliability of the electoral rolls prepared by the electoral bureaucracy in Maharashtra prior to the General Elections conducted in 2024. One such example of deep dive probing has brought to the surface, the name of one female voter in the 132-Nalasopara (Gen) Vidhan Sabha Constituency in Maharashtra. Nalasopara is part of the Palghar (ST) Lok Sabha constituency. This media report claims that this individual's name figures multiple times in the voter list of the same constituency.

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Spirit of leadership vs bondage: Of empowered chairman of 100-acre social forestry coop

By Gagan Sethi* This is about Khoda Sava, a young Dalit belonging to the Vankar sub-caste, who worked as a bonded labourer in a village near Vadgam in Banskantha district of North Gujarat. The year was 1982. Khoda had taken a loan of Rs 7,000 from the village sarpanch, a powerful landlord doing money-lending as his side business. Khoda, who had taken the loan for marriage, was landless. Normally, villagers would mortgage their land if they took loan from the sarpanch. But Khoda had no land. He had no option but to enter into a bondage agreement with the sarpanch in order to repay the loan. Working in bondage on the sarpanch’s field meant that he would be paid Rs 1,200 per annum, from which his loan amount with interest would be deducted. He was also obliged not to leave the sarpanch’s field and work as daily wager somewhere else. At the same time, Khoda was offered meal once a day, and his wife job as agricultural worker on a “priority basis”. That year, I was working as secretary...

Ground reality: Israel would a remain Jewish state, attempt to overthrow it will be futile

By NS Venkataraman* Now that truce has been arrived at between Israel and Hamas for a period of four days and with release of a few hostages from both sides, there is hope that truce would be further extended and the intensity of war would become significantly less. This likely “truce period” gives an opportunity for the sworn supporters and bitter opponents of Hamas as well as Israel and the observers around the world to introspect on the happenings and whether this war could have been avoided. There is prolonged debate for the last several decades as to whom the present region that has been provided to Jews after the World War II belong. View of some people is that Jews have been occupants earlier and therefore, the region should belong to Jews only. However, Christians and those belonging to Islam have also lived in this regions for long period. While Christians make no claim, the dispute is between Jews and those who claim themselves to be Palestinians. In any case...

Proposed Modi yatra from Jharkhand an 'insult' of Adivasi hero Birsa Munda: JMM

Counterview Desk The civil rights network, Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (JMM), which claims to have 30 grassroots groups under its wings, has decided to launch Save Democracy campaign to oppose Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra to be launched on November 15 from the village of legendary 19th century tribal independence leader Birsa Munda from Ulihatu (Khunti district).

Two more "aadhaar-linked" Jharkhand deaths: 17 die of starvation since Sept 2017

Kaleshwar's sons Santosh and Mantosh Counterview Desk A fact-finding team of the Right to Feed Campaign, pointing towards the death of two more persons due to starvation in Jharkhand, has said that this has happened because of the absence of aadhaar, leading to “persistent lack of food at home and unavailability of any means of earning.” It has disputed the state government claims that these deaths are due to reasons other than starvation, adding, the authorities have “done nothing” to reduce the alarming state of food insecurity in the state.

Govt of India "tarnishing" NGO reputation, dossier leaked selectively: Amnesty

Counterview Desk Amnesty International India has said that a deliberate attempt is being made to tarnish its reputation by leaking a dossier, supposedly made by investigating agencies, to media without giving it access to any such information. The high profile NGO’s claim follows a Times Now report about proceedings launched by investigative agencies, including Enforcement Directorate (ED) against the rights body for “violations” of rules pertaining to overseas donations.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Counterview

Search This Blog