Int'l CHTC slams 'alarming trend'

International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission (CHTC) yesterday strongly condemned the "alarming trend" of attacks on indigenous people and those active in demanding the CHT peace accord's implementation, demanding that the perpetrators be brought to justice.

The attacks, related to land acquisition by Bangalee settlers and state forces, occurred right before law enforcers, which indicates the latter's collusion and patronisation, says a statement CHTC co-chairs Eric Avebury, Sultana Kamal and Elsa Stamatopoulou issued.

"The nature of these attacks has been very similar...It has become vital for the government to make amendments to the CHT Land Commission Act to ensure that the Land Commission chairperson can settle the land disputes in the hills," it read.

CHTC also demanded full implementation of the 1997 CHT peace accord without delay to prevent further clashes and violence in the CHT, saying it is a pledge that the government has been repeatedly making in its election manifesto but failing to uphold.

CHTC said it has come to learn that it was local politicians belonging to both the ruling party Awami League and BNP who attacked a convoy of CHT Regional Council Chairman Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma in Bandarban town on March 11.

It says the attackers might be those under the banner "Jago Parbattyabasi", which called a 72-hour strike in Bandarban in anticipation of Larma's visit.

Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti reports that at least 12 of its members and Pahari Chhatra Parishad have been wounded when a car and two motorcycles of the convoy were attacked in Balaghata.

CHTC also condemned attacks on CHTC in Rangamati in July 2014 and CHTC officials in Bandarban in August 2014. 

CHTC also condemns the violence in Babuchara, Dighinala centring eviction of 21 indigenous families for the setting up of a Border Guard Bangladesh battalion headquarters which allegedly left six indigenous persons and four army personnel injured on March 15.