Implement peace accord in the hills

The obstacles holding up full implementation of the peace accord in the Chittagong Hill Tracts must be removed immediately. The accord had won international acclaim but, 21 years on, it remains far from materialising on ground. The recent killings and clashes in the hills emphasises the people’s lack of security there.
It is very important to render effective the regional council, the district council and the CHT land commission in order to ensure peace for the hill people. But the relevant laws do not empower them sufficiently. That is why Shantu Larma often says with regret, “I have no power. Equitable land distribution is most important for the hill people, but this has been the most neglected area for the last 21 years. Three years after the peace accord was signed in 1997, the land commission was formed in 2001. But the concerned law is seriously flawed. No progress was made during the subsequent rule of BNP-Jamaat. They remained oblivious to the flaws in the law.”
The state has taken an escapist stance when it comes to resolving the land conflict. Even election manifestos of the political parties have no reflection of any changed mindset. Awami League may take credit for signing the peace accord, but their prevailing disinterest is more than apparent. And even BNP, always ready to criticise the government, has nothing to say on this head.
This propensity towards escapism must be dropped. Unless this is done, no amendments of laws can resolve the problems. In 2016 amendments were made to the law, but there has been no progress in implementing the amendments. The only achievement is that the hill leaders could join the commission meetings. But this participation has been meaningless. The rules and regulations required to run the CHT land commission have not been drawn up.
It is simply unacceptable that after so much fanfare of signing the peace accord, there is little or no implementation on ground. This is simply fanning the embers of discontent among the people of the hills. This does not bode well for national security either. The discrepancies in the relevant laws can be ironed out in court.
The hitches in the law often pointed out by the government are baseless. There must be a time-bound roadmap to implement the accord. Powers concerning police, local administration, land, forests, environment, etc, still have not been handed over to the regional council. Less significant issues like health and education have been handed over. It is the government’s responsibility to prove that the dignity given to various ethnic groups and communities by the constitution is real, not simply on paper.