The parliamentary body tasked to finalise recommendations on three draft laws on three hill districts criticised the Chittagong Hill Tracts Ministry for not initiating the laws in line with the 1997 peace deal.
While discussing the three draft laws – Rangamati Parbatya Zilla Parishad (amendment) Bill, Khagrachhari Parbatya Zilla Parishad (amendment) Bill and Bandarban Parbatya Zilla Parishad (amendment) Bill – the parliamentary standing committee on Chittagong Hill Tracts yesterday refrained from making recommendations for procedural lapses by the ministry.
According to the parliamentary rules, the three bills must not be passed without the recommendations of the watchdog.
The draft laws the state minister Bir Bahadur U Shei Ching tabled in parliament on July 1 were aimed at amending similar laws passed in 1989 governing the three hill districts.
“We have not finalised the bills today [Wednesday]; we have suggested the ministry discuss [with the hill leadership],” Kujendra Lal Tripura, Awami League MP and committee member, told the Dhaka Tribune.
“This is better to have discussion [with the hill leadership] before passage of the laws,” he said.
In 1989, the government passed three laws – Rangamati Parbatya Zilla Parishad Act, Khagrachhari Parbatya Zilla Parishad Act and Bandarban Parbatya Zilla Parishad Act. In line with the laws elections to the three district councils took place in 1989. Since then no election has taken place.
On May 24, 2009, the government annulled the 10-year-old district councils, inserting a section into the original laws. The section authorised the government to form five-member unelected interim district councils.
The latest three bills have proposed increasing the members of the interim councils tasked with supervising the activities of 23 agencies transferred in line with the 1997 peace accord.
The government peace agreement with the Parbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity has stipulated that the authorities must consult the district councils and the regional council to bring any change to the laws relating to the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Ushatan Talukder, independent MP from Rangamati and member of the standing committee, raised the procedural lapses involving the bill.
The chairman, RAM Obaidul Muktadir, then sought clarification from the ministry officials attending the meeting. One of the officials said the amendment bills were “not law making,” prompting a deputy secretary of the parliament secretariat to refute it.
“They must be consulted,” said the chairman, before asking the ministry to have talks with the hill leadership.
Opposing initiation of the bills without discussion, Ushaton earlier told the Dhaka Tribune increasing the number of interim councils meant that the there would be no election to the local government bodies.
The amendments propose increasing the members of the interim councils tasked with supervising the activities of 23 agencies transferred in line with the 1997 peace accord.
According to the proposals made in three separate bills, the government will form three 11-member interim councils for each of the districts instead of present five-member bodies.
Rangamati District Council will consist of a chairman and 10 other members: three from Chakma and three from non-tribal people, one from Marama, one from Kheyang and or Lusai, one from Tanchangya, and one from Tripura.
Khagrachhari district council will have one chairman, three members from Chakma and three from non-tribal people, two from Marma and two from Tripura.
One chairman, three members from non-tribal members, two members from Marma, one from Tanchangya or Chakma, one from Mro, one from Tripura, one from Chak, Kheyang or Khumi, and one from Bom, Lusai or Pankhu will constitute the Banderban district council.
Hill people allege that the government had been amending the laws “to nominate its own people to the district councils bypassing the long due elections.”