Indigenous peoples’ representatives from Bangladesh told a UN conference that good governance in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region could not be ensured as the CHT Accord remained unimplemented until date.
“This Accord introduces special governance arrangement for the CHT with the formation of the CHT Regional Council as an apex political body of the region, and three Hill District Councils...however, special self-government system in the CHT remains dysfunctional until today, due to the non-implementation of related Acts,” Mangal Kumar Chakma said at a session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) at the UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday.
The statement was jointly prepared by Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS), Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum and Jum Chab Metta Foundation.
The accord popularly known as Peace Accord ended a decade-long armed struggle of the indigenous people in the CHT region.
The session began on May 12 with a theme on the principles of good governance consistent with the UN Declaration on the Indigenous Peoples rights. The session is set to end on May 23. It was inaugurated in presence of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon along with around 300 participants across the world.
A group of indigenous leaders including Chakma Circle Chief Raja Devashish Roy, also a member of the UNPFII, and rights activist Binotamoi Dhamai are attending the
session. CHT Ministry Secretary Naba Bikram Kishore Tripura is also likely to attend.
In the 2011 session, Bangladesh first denied the existence of indigenous people in the country drawing criticism both home and abroad.