Guwahati, Jan 16: The Chakma Development Foundation of India (CDFI), a New Delhi-based advocacy group, has welcomed a landmark decision by Bangladesh’s interim government to classify the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) as a “foreign affairs issue.” This pivotal move comes with the reconstitution of the CHT Accord Implementation & Monitoring Committee, now led by Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hussain as convenor, alongside Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, President of the Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS), and Suddatta Chakma, chairman of the Task Force for Rehabilitation and Resettlement of Returnee Refugees from India.
The 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord, a historic peace agreement between the insurgent JSS and the Bangladesh Army, aimed to resolve decades of conflict in the indigenous-majority region. However, key provisions remain unfulfilled, leaving Indigenous communities in a prolonged struggle.
Suhas Chakma, founder of CDFI, hailed the decision as a long-overdue acknowledgement of the region’s unique historical and cultural identity. “This historic shift by the Bangladesh government is welcome. The CHT region, despite its 98.5% non-Muslim population, was controversially awarded to Pakistan in 1947, contravening the principles of the Indian Independence Act. Indigenous people raised the Indian flag on August 15, 1947, only to be forcibly annexed into Pakistan two days later,” Chakma remarked.
He further highlighted the challenges faced by indigenous communities, citing the ongoing military occupation and demographic shifts imposed by successive governments. “The region has endured what can only be described as an occupation, with one-third of Bangladesh’s military stationed there. Between 1979 and 1983, approximately 400,000 Muslim settlers were relocated to the CHT, displacing indigenous populations and mimicking the dynamics of Israeli settlements in Occupied Arab territories. This forced migration led to over 70,000 indigenous people fleeing to India, with thousands killed during the insurgency from 1975 to 1997,” Chakma added.
While the 1997 accord marked a step toward peace, crucial aspects, such as the withdrawal of military camps, restitution of illegally occupied lands, proper rehabilitation of returnee refugees, and holding elections in regional councils, remain unaddressed.
The reconstitution of the CHT Accord Implementation Committee has reignited hope among advocates for indigenous rights and regional stability. However, meaningful action to resolve long-standing grievances is critical to building trust and fostering lasting peace in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
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