{"id":121072,"date":"2021-12-10T16:53:52","date_gmt":"2021-12-10T23:53:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=121072"},"modified":"2021-12-10T16:53:52","modified_gmt":"2021-12-10T23:53:52","slug":"chittagong-hill-tracts-cht-in-bangladesh-towards-peace-and-prosperity-peace-accord-in-1997-paves-the-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2021\/12\/10\/chittagong-hill-tracts-cht-in-bangladesh-towards-peace-and-prosperity-peace-accord-in-1997-paves-the-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) In Bangladesh Towards Peace And Prosperity: Peace Accord In 1997 Paves The Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hafizur Talukdar<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

The Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord has entered into two\neras. The agreement was signed 24 years ago with the aim of ending the bloody\nclashes between the Bengalis and the government forces and establishing peace\nwith the tribes and hills of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. After the agreement,\nit was hoped that if implemented, the winds of peace would blow in the\nmountains and the economy would gain momentum. In the last 24 years, this hope\nhas been fulfilled. The way of life of the locals has changed. Various\ndevelopment projects undertaken by the government have changed the economic\ncondition of millions of people living in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\nBefore the agreement, tourists were afraid to go to the hill districts.\nTourists are now coming to the mountains without any hesitation as the security\nsituation has improved after the peace agreement. In the past, due to the\nunderdeveloped communication system, there was not much speed in trade and\ncommerce, but now that speed has increased several times. Before that, the\nwheel of normal life was closed for two decades. With the signing of the peace\ntreaty, the hill country returns to its normal rhythm; In the contemporary regional\nand international arena, the successful political end of the CHT problem is\nconsidered a rare achievement for our country. For this reason, Sheikh Hasina’s\nUNESCO award was a recognition of Bangladesh’s unique contribution to peace.
\n
\nThe then Awami League government tried to establish lasting peace in the hill\nareas. This was followed by the surrender of arms in 1997, which later became\nknown as the Chittagong Hill Tracts Agreement or the Peace Accord. The\ngovernment claims that most of the clauses of the agreement have been\nimplemented. And the unrealized clauses will be implemented quickly and it\nneeds a conducive environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, in the two eras after the peace\nagreement, several schools and colleges have been established. Rangamati\nUniversity of Science and Technology and Rangamati Medical College. There has\nbeen improvement in the communication sector. Sajeke in Baghaichhari has been\nbuilt for tourists in two-star quality hotels and a three-star quality tourist\ncomplex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier, fishermen could not fish in Kaptai Lake but now\nfishermen can fish as they wish. Fishing on Kaptai Lake has multiplied since\nthe peace agreement. Kaptai Lake is playing an important role in the economy.\nPrior to the agreement, the government did not receive any revenue of Rs 1\ncrore from this lake. Now the government is collecting revenue of around Tk 10\ncrore every year. Thousands of families in Rangamati now depend on Kaptai Lake.\nZoom crop production has increased in the hills. Although it was difficult to\nget the zoom crop to the market earlier, it has been alleviated a lot now. In\nthe past, most of the crops of Zum would have been ruined on the way, but now\nthere is not much of a search on the road, so hill farmers can easily sell Zum\ncrops in the market. The sector that has improved the most since the agreement\nwas the timber business.
\n
\nThe timber trade in the region has multiplied since the agreement. Although\nthey did not buy tree gardens in the hills before, now traders are buying\ngardens. The gardeners are benefiting economically. With the improvement in\nevery aspect including education, communication and security, overall economic\ndevelopment has taken place in all the districts of the Chittagong Hill Tracts\nincluding Rangamati. Laxmidhan Chakma, a resident of Rangamati, said government\njobs once seemed like golden deer to us. But as a result of the Hill Tracts\nPeace Accord, now the educated and meritorious children of the Hill Tracts are\neasily getting government jobs. It would never have been possible without the\nagreement.
\n
\nAfter the peace agreement, some incidents centered on conflict and hegemony\namong the regional parties did not stop the wheel of the mountain economy.\nEconomic prosperity has been achieved in the same way that the living standards\nof the people have improved due to various steps taken by the government after\nthe peace agreement. We can understand this by analyzing the times before and\nafter the peace agreement.
\n
\nAfter the Hill Tracts Peace Accord, the hill people were able to trade easily.\nThe general public was intimidated by the obstruction of some regional\norganizations. But as a result of the peace agreement, the people of the hills\nare now breathing a sigh of relief. The people here are doing business\nindependently with the incomparable cooperation of the administration.
\n
\nThere was a stagnation in trade and commerce in the hill country before the\nHill Accords. Ordinary people could not move freely. But now that day is no\nmore. Now people are doing business freely. The increase in communication has\nalso given impetus to trade and commerce. The police administration is ready so\nthat the people here can perform all their duties independently.
\n
\nMeanwhile, 10 new development projects have been undertaken for the development\nof Chittagong Hill Tracts. The Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts has sent a\nproposal to the Planning Commission for inclusion in the Green Leaf in the\nAnnual Development Program (ADP) for the next 2021-22 Fiscal Year. At the same\ntime, the allocation has been sought for 19 ongoing projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rural Road Development Project constructed by Chittagong\nHill Tracts Development Board in Rangamati Hill District, its duration is till\n2021-2024. The construction period of rural infrastructure in Rangamati Hill\nDistrict has been fixed till 2024.
\n
\nConstruction of Master Drain in the development of water system in Bandarban\nMunicipality and Lama Municipality of Bandarban Hill District to remove water\nblockage, it is aimed to be implemented by 2023. Besides, the development of various\nrural roads constructed by the Board in Bandarban Hill District has been fixed\ntill 2023.
\n
\nConstruction of bridge with the connecting road from Upazila Sadar to remote\nareas of Khagrachhari district for the purpose of socio-economic development of\nthe backward people of Chittagong Hill Tracts has been fixed till 2025.\nConstruction of road from Laxichhari Upazila Sadar to Barmachhari Bazar of\nKhagrachhari district has been fixed till 2025. Construction of rural road\ninfrastructure in Khagrachhari Hill District with the aim of building a\ncommunication network of Upazila Sadar with remote villages of different\nUpazilas. Trending Inclusive Development in CHT Project. Providing sustainable\nsocial services in the CHT area. Construction of rural road from Roangchhari\nUpazila Sadar to Ruma Upazila of Bandarban Hill District. High-value spice\ncultivation project in remote areas of Chittagong Hill Tracts.
\n
\nConstruction of Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council Complex. Construction\nof two bridges over Sangu river and one over Sonakhali canal in Bandarban Hill\nDistrict. Construction of master drain for development of drainage system of\nKhagrachhari district headquarters and removal of water blockage. Increase of\ncotton cultivation in Chittagong Hill Tracts area and alleviation of poverty of\nfarmers. Power supply through installation of solar panels in remote areas of\nChittagong Hill Tracts (Phase II). Safe water supply and development in all\nUpazilas including Rangamati municipality. Construction of irrigation drains in\ndifferent Upazilas of Bandarban Hill District. Construction of irrigation\ndrains in different Upazilas of Khagrachhari district of Chittagong Hill\nTracts. Supply of potable drinking water through GFS and deep Tube Well in all\nareas in rocky areas in different Upazilas of Bandarban district.
\n
\nApart from this, poverty alleviation projects through coffee and cashew nut\ncultivation in the CHT region and water supply and sanitation management\nprojects in markets and adjoining areas of the Khagrachhari district are also\nin progress. Establishing and implementing the network, which is currently the\nmain hub for access to basic social services to the people of the three hill\ndistricts of Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachari. The Chittagong Hill Tracts\nPeace Accord recognized the special status and dignity of the hill people.\nUnder the peace agreement, a regional council comprising local government\ncouncils of the three hill districts has been formed. The structure of the\nRegional Council is as follows: Chairman 1, Member (Indigenous) 12, Member\n(Indigenous) Female 2, Member (Non-Indigenous) Male 6, Member (Non-Indigenous)\nFemale 1. The agreement calls for the formation of a Ministry of Tribal Affairs\nto oversee activities related to the Chittagong Hill Tracts, headed by one\ntribe. If the land ownership rights of the tribes are determined then their\nland will be returned. For this purpose, a land survey system will be conducted\nin the Chittagong Hill Tracts to determine the ownership of land.
\n
\nToday there are educated young people in every house of the tribal people. At\nleast one employee per household, Chakmas has an average literacy rate of 96%.\nThe quota system in all jobs including BCS, priority system, a quota system for\ntribal students in all universities, medical colleges, scholarships in Europe,\nAmerica, Australia all together the development of tribal people in the\nChittagong Hill Tracts is much better than any remote region of Bangladesh.
\n
\nIncumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is always striving to fulfill the hopes\nand aspirations of the people of Chittagong Hill Tracts. The present government\nhas not taken any undemocratic and anti-people initiatives in the hilly areas.\nAfter the Awami League government came to power, the chairman of the Chittagong\nHill Tracts Development Board has been appointed. The formation of the Land\nCommission and the ‘Minority Cultural Institutions Bill 2010’ has been passed\nin the National Assembly. In the meantime, everyone has accepted the idea of\ntribes, minorities, ethnic groups and communities to protect the integrity of\nthe country. We think that supporting and supporting Sheikh Hasina’s efforts to\nestablish peace is essential for development there.
\n
\nThe necessity of implementation of the Hill Tracts Peace Agreement can be seen\nfrom the significant examples of successful conduct of various ongoing\nsocio-economic development activities. However, the joint efforts of the\nhill-Bengalis are needed to implement the conviction to uphold the rights of\nall citizens as enshrined in the peace agreement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hafizur Talukdar The Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord has entered into two eras. The agreement was signed 24 years ago with the aim of ending the bloody clashes between the Bengalis and the government forces and establishing peace with the tribes and hills of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. After the agreement, it was hoped that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[182],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hafizur-talukdar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121072","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121072"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121072\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=121072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}