Govt unwilling to implement CHT accord

Santu, who signed the 1997 accord with the then Awami League government, has accused the Sheikh Hasina administration of showing utter disregard for the accord. “…As a result, the overall situation in the CHT is becoming apprehensive,” he said in a written statement, marking the 19th anniversary of the accord yesterday. The peace accord between Shanti Bahini and the government ended decades of bloody armed struggle in the volatile hill tracts region. Since laying down arms, Santu Larma-led PCJSS has been pressing for full implementation of the accord. Santu Larma has, in the past, warned of bloody struggle in the hills for realising the rights of the tribal population. “If the accord is not implemented … the tribal people will be forced to seek alternative ways for the sake of their existence.” Columnist and researcher Syed Abul Maksud, Bangladesh Adivasi Forum Secretary Sanjeeb Drong, Executive Director of Institute for Environment and Development Numan Ahmed Khan, among others, attended the press briefing.