Islamisation and militarisation are the main obstacles to implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord that was signed between Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) and then Awami League government in 1997, speakers said at a discussion yesterday.
They said the accord was still far away from full implementation.
The discussion organised by Bangladesh Indigenous People Forum and Kapaeeng Foundation at The Daily Star seminar hall in the capital.
National Human Rights Commission Chairman Dr Mizanur Rahman told the discussion that a large-scale Islamisation process is underway in the CHT area.
“Also, the process of militarisation should be stopped to establish trust and confidence among the Bangalees and the indigenous people living in that area.
“The indigenous people were once the majority in the CHT area but now they have become the minority. Businesses in the area are now owned by the non-indigenous communities,” he added.
But the adviser to the prime minister on international affairs, Dr Gowher Rizvi, said he has no idea whether Islamisation is going on in the CHT area. “But as the chairman of National Human Rights Commission has said this, I should take it seriously.”
Dr Gowher also said the government would soon announce a roadmap to implement the CHT peace accord.
PCJSS President Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, widely known as Santu Larma, said the government might be sincere to implement the accord but something had got in the way.
“Many of us have no idea why the accord will not be fully implemented. To me, there is a group that do not want to see the accord’s implementation.”