A platform of indigenous people, in favour of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, has alleged the government is indirectly encouraging the opponents of the accord by not fully implementing it.Parbatya Janashanghati Samity (JSS) chief Santu Larma feared it could push the hill tracts into bloodshed.
“The accord is still not being carried out due to the government’s lack of sincerity and goodwill,” he said on Tuesday at a media briefing at Dhaka on Tuesday.
Larma, whose real name is Jotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, said the people of Bangladesh still held a ‘hostile’ attitude towards the indigenous communities.
“The hill tracts are still turbulent,” he said.
“Fronts like the United People’s Democratic Front, who oppose the accord, are becoming pro-active thanks to the government’s lack of goodwill to execute it,” the JSS chief said.
There has been a rise in the number of abductions in the region recently.
On Monday, captors freed 34 out of 52 abducted JSS supporters, who were picked up in February, from Rangamati’s Longodu Upazila.
Larma took a dig at the Awami League-led government that had signed the accord with the then Shanti Bahini on Dec 2, 1997 to bring an end to the bloodshed in the region.
“The incumbent government had promised to fully implement the accord but no significant progress had been made over the past four and a half years,” he said.
The former Shanti Bahini commander alleged the Land Commission (Amendment) Act 2013 which was tabled in Parliament on Jun 16 had not been outlined as per the CHT Peace Accord committee’s decision
“Three important proposals have been dropped.”
He announced a continuous agitation from Aug 3-9 in Dhaka to press for a 10-point charter of demand. – bdnews24.com
