The headmen (traditional leaders) in CHT at a press conference yesterday presented their 13-point demand, urging the government to strengthen traditional institutions and make them more effective in the interests of people in the region.
The CHT Headmen Network organised the press briefing at the conference room of the CHT Regional Council office in town.
The demands include: increase in allowances for the headmen to Tk7,000 from Tk1,000 and an increase for Karbaries to Tk3,000 from 500; incorporating amendments into the CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission as per recommendations by the Regional council; full execution of the peace deal; setting up offices with adequate staff; involvement in development programmes; declaring a three-day holiday during ‘Biju festival’ in CHT; ensuring offices for headmen in the ‘Parbatya Bhaban’ (under planning) in Dhaka; incorporating traditional institutions and associated laws and allocation of funds to these institutions from the district relief and rehabilitation office. It is very important to execute the CHT peace accord fully to establish long-lasting peace in hill districts, they said.
They said the problem of land dispute is getting complicated in CHT, adding that land is being leased in hills by the different government authorities who bypass them, and that many jumma families are being evicted from their ancestral land.
Peace will never come in CHT until land disputes in CHT are fixed, they said.
They also urged the government to pass the amendment bill of CHT Land Commission in the parliament within the shortest possible time so that it can be functional soon.
The headmen are always kept ignored in any government development programme and the administration, they said.
Shaktipada Tripura, vice president of CHT Headmen Network, its general secretary Shanti Bijoy Chakma, Swadesh Preti Chakma, president of Khagrachhari Headmen Association, it advisor Kongjuri Chowdhury, and Rangamati Headmen Association’s president Sujit Dewan, attended the conference.
