[Reader-list] BANGLADESH: Bengali Domination Of CHT Continues

[Shambhu Rahmat]

Bengali-led ethnic cleansing of indigenous Pahari people in CHT,
Bangladesh continues. The 30 year guerilla war in Chittagong Hill
Tracts was temporarily halted in 1997 when a historic Peace Accord was
signed. But the Accord stalled from non-implementation and now the
army-backed "Caretaker Government" looks set to use the Voter List to
permanently seal the ethnic cleansing of CHT.

Alarmist rhetoric & hyperbole?  If only...

My Own Little Palestine
http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/07/10/d707101502126.htm

CHT Peace Accord & Voters List
- Zobaida Nasrin Kona

Along with various parts of  the country, the listing of voters in
Chittagong and the three Hill  Districts of Rangamati, Khagrachari and
Bandarban began on 22nd  October, 2007 (Prothom Alo, 23rd Oct.2007).
Each part  of Bangladesh has its own historicity and geographical
characteristic.

>From that perspective, the  Chittagong Hill Tracts with its cultural
richness and geographic distinctiveness  has always deserved special
attention. On 2nd December, 1997,  a Peace Accord was signed between
the Parbottyo Chattogram Janasanghati  Samiti and the erstwhile
Government. But over the years, the implementation  of the Accord has
been questioned from time to time by Adivasi leaders.  The reason for
bringing up the issue of the voters list is due to a  writ petition
issued by the High Court to the Government of Bangladesh  on 27th
August  in response to a case filed by Tajul Islam  (writ petition
6451/2007). The petition asks the Government to give  reasons as to
why the Peace Accord between the Government of Bangladesh  and the
Parbottyo Chattagrram Jana Shanghato Samiti (PCJSS) should not  be
considered as unconstitutional. Previously a Md. Shamsuddin  had filed
 a similar case in 1999 against the Government of Bangladesh and
others,  opposing the signing and implementation of the Peace Accord.
Through  the writ petition issued by the High Court (4113/99), the
Bangladesh  government was asked to respond as to why the Peace Accord
should not  be regarded as unconstitutional. More recently, another
case was filed  by a Md. Badiuzzaman  on a similar tone. In the writ
petition (no. 26669/2000),   the government was asked to explain as to
why the Regional Council 1998  and Rangamati, Khagrachari and
Bandarban Hill District Council Act should  not be considered
anti-constitutional. Both these cases were subject  to prolonged
hearing, and a final verdict is still in the offing.

Under the present circumstances,  the writ petition given in the third
case bears some distinctive characteristics.  This case was filed
against the Government as the sole opposition. No  mention was made of
PCJSS as the opposing party or the Regional Council.  But more
important, was the special directive given to the Election  Commission
as part of the writ petition: "Direct the Respondent No.  8, The
Election Commission not to deprive of any non-tribal citizen  residing
on CHT area from being enlisted as voter during the ensuing  voter
enlistment process on ground of being non-permanent resident in  CHT
pending disposal of the rule.".

According to the Peace Treaty  only permanent settlers of the CHT
should become voters. The criterion  for permanent settlement was
defined as a minimum of 15 year residentship  and ownership of land.
If this is disregarded and everybody is considered  to be a voter,
then for all practical purposes, in both national and  international
perspective it will only foreground the possibility of  considering
the Peace Accord to be null and void..

On the other hand, the process  of illegal migration of Bengali
settlers continues even today. And under  the provision of this recent
writ petition they could be enumerated  into the voters list. Such a
process is not devoid of the kind of politics  that the Peace Accord
has been trying to resolve, the strengthening  and imposition of
Bengali rule over the indigenous people of the Hill  Tracts.