The people of Bangladesh are quite used to watching the armed forces aiding the civil administration in maintaining law and order. They are also familiar with the role of the armed forces following a disaster, natural or manmade. In the recent past, people have also witnessed the acclaimed role of the army in voter registration and preparation of national ID.
The army’s contribution in some of the mega projects like Hatirjheel and some fly-overs has further demonstrated its ability and willingness to play a significant role in the national development activities. While all these activities have been duly recognised and appreciated by the nation, a segment of the people are seemingly oblivious about the silent role security forces are playing in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), so much so that some sceptics even wonder why the security forces should continue their presence in CHT following the Accord.
Such scepticism is quite understandable on two accounts. Firstly, unlike the magnificent role and contributions of security forces in the burgeoning metropolis areas, their relatively quiet performance in the CHT is not quite visible. Secondly, we haven’t yet fully conceived the diverse role armed forces can and should play in promoting and protecting the national interests.
The lack of general awareness about the performance of security forces in CHT is absolutely natural due to the limited media access to those far-flung areas. But the scepticism over their role in a post-Accord environment is indicative of the prevailing ignorance about the nature and extent of duties armed forces are expected to perform in pursuit of the national interest.
The role security forces are performing in CHT today is providing the essential thread for the multiple disciplines of the state to work synergistically towards the unmistakable goal of ensuring people’s security against a whole range of threats.
The security forces are no more fighting the insurgents in CHT. Conventional wisdom would probably suggest putting a full stop here and seek new challenges elsewhere for the security forces to fight against. But indeed the end of insurgency does not signify the end of the story but rather denotes the end of an episode only.
In our long journey towards sustainable peace in CHT, we have only reached an important milestone; much of the journey still lies ahead. Promoting and sustaining peace is oftentimes more challenging than merely establishing peace.
To have a better grasp over the ongoing security challenges facing CHT, it might be useful to discuss those under five distinct heads: economic security, food security, health security, environmental security, and personal security.
The economic security of any locality hinges on a few basic initiatives: unlocking the local potential, creating employment opportunity and connecting the local resources with the mainstream economy through extensive communication infrastructure. The security forces have been doing a marvelous job in all these three fields. The local potentials have been unlocked through training, inspiring and guiding the locals in optimising the use of local resources towards income generation.
Food security implies having ready access to food and adequate nourishment. A person or family may not have access to food due to poverty or due to a natural or manmade disaster. The Government of Bangladesh usually takes care of the vulnerable groups through social safety nets. The jungle-clad and hilly landscape of CHT sometimes makes it extremely difficult for the traditional system to extend the safety net beyond a reasonable limit. And when the traditional system culminates, the security forces take over the arduous task of extending the net even further inside the remotest and most inaccessibly areas reaching the marooned and extremely vulnerable groups.
The traditional health-care system becomes seriously handicapped beyond the road network in CHT. Ambulances cannot ply across deep ravines and high ridges, but the stretcher-bearers can. An army foot patrol can surmount any conceivable natural barrier. Any ten-man army patrol in CHT would invariably include a first-aid qualified person equipped with the essential knowledge and kits for basic surgery and medication. Upon meeting a patient, the patrol would apply the first-aid.
Illegal exploitation of natural resources is one of the principal threats to environmental security. Illegal collection of timber through indiscriminate deforestation can seriously damage the ecosystem in CHT, if unchecked. Such environmental degradation would inevitably lead to natural disasters like land erosion and landslides with their consequent impact on precious lives and property. The security forces, in close coordination with the forest department, have been doing an excellent job in checking against such illegal practices.
Not much needs to be said about the brilliant role security forces are performing towards enhancing the personal security of the people of CHT. The incessant efforts of the security forces towards the recovery of illegal weapons, apprehending the miscreants and preventing illegal toll collection has made today’s CHT a much safer place to live in.
In the end, it should be noted that the security forces have not undertaken an absolutely new role in CHT following the Accord. They are still performing the same classic role of providing security to the people of CHT. Only the nature and scope of their role have transformed from a parochial, to a more comprehensive and holistic one.