24th anniversary of CHT Peace Accord tomorrow

The 24th anniversary of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord is tomorrow.

The accord was signed on 2 December in 1997 between the government and the Parbatya Chattogram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS) during the first tenure of prime minister Sheikh Hasina, ending bloody conflicts in three hill districts.

The then Jatiya Sangsad chief whip Abul Hasnat Abdullah signed the agreement on behalf of the government while Joritindra Bodhipriyo Larma (Santu Larma) on behalf of PCJSS.

President M Abdul Hamid and prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday issued separate messages marking the completion of 24 years of the signing of the historic agreement.

Both the president and the prime minister greeted all people in the Chattogram hill districts on the occasion of completion of 24 years of the pact.

In his message, president Hamid called upon all irrespective of party affiliations to work together to make use of the potentials of hill districts.

He recalled that the historic CHT Peace Accord was signed between the CHT Affairs National Committee and the PCJSS on 2 December 1997 at the initiative of prime minister Sheikh Hasina, ending long-standing conflicts.

"Signing of the peace accord at the initiatives of prime minister Sheikh Hasina will remain as an example in peaceful settlement of disputes," said the president.

As a sequel to the implementation of CHT accord, the CHT affairs ministry and CHT Regional Council were formed, he said, adding that signing of the accord has helped intensify socio-economic, cultural and infrastructure development of the Chattogram hill districts.

In her message, prime minister Sheikh Hasina greeted the countrymen, specially the people of the three hill districts, on the occasion of the completion of 24th years of the historic agreement.

The prime minister sought cooperation from all for full implementation of the CHT peace accord and thus building a prosperous, happy and peaceful 'Sonar Bangla' of Bangabandhu through socio-economic development of the hill regions.

On 2 December 1997, the historic CHT Peace Accord was signed without the mediation of any third party, with a view to stopping bloody conflicts in the CHT, the premier said.

"It is a rare incident in the world history . . . this peace accord brought an end to the long-term bloody racial skirmishes in the CHT region and established the trend of peace and development there," said the prime minister.

Sheikh Hasina said achieving the UNESCO Peace Prize is a global recognition to this accord.

The prime minister said the post 1975 undemocratic governments (after the assassination of Bangabandhu) had created divisions between the Bangalee and the mountainous people for their self-interest instead of maintaining social stability there.

Killings, tortures and injustice, grabbing of land and wealth and misuse of the state resources had made the region more unstable, she added.

She said after coming to the power in 2001, the BNP-Jamaat government strongly opposed the accord had tried to create unrest in the area but they failed to do so.

After coming to power in 2009, Sheikh Hasina said her government has been implementing massive development programmes in all sectors, including education, health, electricity, communications, infrastructure and mobile networks in the region.

The prime minister said CHT is no more a backward locality because of the timely steps taken by her government.