Call for review of 1997 CHT Accord to ensure lasting peace
Speakers at a Chattogram seminar call for evidence-based research, equal constitutional rights and democratic dialogue to address longstanding issues in the hill region.
A review of different provisions of the 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord is essential to promote sustainable peace, development and stability in the hills, experts said today (8 August).
They also called for peaceful and democratic dialogue on ethnic identity, citizenship rights, international law and implementation of the Accord.
The experts stressed the importance of evidence-based research and impartial assessment of the region's history, at a seminar organised by Pathshala CHT Research Cell in Chattogram city yesterday.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Addressing the event as the keynote speaker, Professor Mahfuz Parvez, chairman of Chittagong University's Political Science discipline, said the CHT holds significant geographical, social and cultural importance for Bangladesh, with ethnic communities and Bengali residents living across the region.
"Ensuring equal constitutional rights for all citizens is a fundamental principle of a modern state," he said, warning against divisive politics and deliberate efforts that could undermine harmony in the hills.
Md Kawsar Ullah, coordinator of the research cell and chair of the seminar, called for further research into the history and origins of the communities living in the CHT.
He said the terms "indigenous" and "tribal" are not synonymous and argued that the ethnic communities in the region should be considered "tribal" in light of relevant International Labour Organization conventions.
Kawsar also claimed that some provisions of the Accord had created discrimination against Bengali residents in education, employment and other areas.
