IMPLEMENTING CHT DEAL : Hill people form 300-km human chain in 3 dists [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

IMPLEMENTING CHT DEAL : Hill people form 300-km human chain in 3 dists

Local January 19, 2016

Ethnic minority people of Chittagong Hill Tracts on Monday formed a 300-kilometre long human chain amid obstruction of administration and demanded full implementation of CHT Accord.
They also demanded for setting up a separate land commission for ethnic people, such as Garos and Santals, who live mostly in the plains.
Activists campaigning for rights of ethnic minorities of hill areas and plain lands as well also held human chains at least in 18 districts across the country including the capital on the same demands.
The Chittagong Hill Tracts Citizens Committee, Bangladesh Adivasi Forum and CHT Headmen’s Network jointly organised the human chain that spanned from remote Dudukchara of Panchhari in Khagrachhari to far-flung Gundhum of Naikhyangchari of Bandarban from 10:00am to 11:00am.
Organisers alleged that law enforcers attack left at least nine activists injured in Khagrachhari. They said police snatched away their banners and festoons. The leaders condemned the police attack on such a non violent programme.
New Age correspondent in Khagrachhari reported that police and military men barred the hill people to form the human chain at places in the town and elsewhere in the district.
At Mahajan Para and Chengi Square of Khagrachhari town, police did not allow the locals to stand and snatched away their banner.
At Maitchhari, soldiers allegedly beat up three youths when they tried to stand on Rangamati-Khagrachhari road.
The organisers said the programme was arranged to protest against the government’s bogus claim that CHT accord (The Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, signed in 1997 ) has been mostly accomplished.
They said there was no move to implement the basic points of the accord, rather, initiatives against the treaty was on.
New Age correspondent in Rangamati, reported that the human chain was formed from New Court Building to Kaptai via Asambasti in the town, holding placards, banners and festoons.
Ethnic people stood in a long queue also demanded ensuring of constitutional recognition of the ethnic people, preserving CHT as a jumma inhabited region, stopping land grabbing in the name of development, withdrawal of all temporary security camps and rehabilitating the internally displaced jumma people.
A rally was held at New Court Building area where president of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Citizens Committee Gautam Dewan, Bangladesh Adivasi Forum CHT chapter president, Prakriti Ranjan Chakma, and National Human Rights Commission member, Nirupa Dewan, spoke.
Warning the government of tougher programmes, they said, the government should execute the accord for the sake of peace and avoid conflicts.
In Bandarban, same event was held from Ghundhum of Naikhiyangchhari via Bhaichhari and Chimbuk to in front of Press Club in the district town.
In the capital, 30 rights organisations including Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, Jatiya Adivashi Parishad, Kapaeeng Foundation formed an hour long human chain at Shahbagh intersection at 10:00am.
President of Oikya NAP Pankaj Bhattacharya, Dhaka University teacher Mesbah Kamal, CPB central leader Ruhin Hossain Prince, among others, spoke at the human chain.
Bangladesh Adivasi Forum general secretary Sanjeeb Drong claimed that similar programmes were simultaneously held in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Rangpur, Cox’s Bazar, Sirajganj, Natore, Satkhira, Tangail, Naogaon, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Joypurhat and Gaibandha districts.