Dhaka, Nov 06: A top tribal leader has accused Bangladesh's Begum Khaleda Zia government of delaying the implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT) Treaty and charged it with "Islamising" the mountain region. "The signing of Chittagong Hill Tracts Treaty was a big mistake," Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma alias Shantu Larma, President of Jana Sanghati Samity - once stated to have been disbanded following the accord- told the party congress at Khagrachari yesterday. The treaty of December 1997 had brought an end to nearly two decades of bush war that claimed thousands of lives and caused huge damage to the economy. Following the treaty, nearly 60,000 tribals (Jummia) who took refuge in India - mostly in Tripura - returned home and the settlement process had begun.

Larma also alleged that the previous Awami League government of Sheikh Hasina signed the treaty "not with good intention, but to betray the Jummia people," the Daily Star said in a report. Larma, who recently held a lengthy meeting with Begum Zia, alleged that the present government was responsible for not doing enough to implement the treaty and asked the Jummia people to continue their movement till realisation of their rights.



The tribal chief also charged the present government with "politicising the Zilla Parishad (local body)" in CHT thereby further impeding the implementation of the accord.



He said the government was indulging in a long-drawn conspiracy to "Islamise" the CHT.


Bureau Report