Call to review CHT treaty

Source from-http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2008/01/28/news0190.htm
Staff Reporter

Speakers at a discussion meeting yesterday demanded of the government to review the Chittagong Hill Tracts Treaty (CHTT) saying the treaty contradicts with the Constitution of the country.

Speakers demanded this at a roundtable conference on 'Reviewing the Chittagong Hill Tracts Treaty According to the Constitution' organised by the Chittagong Hill Tracts Equal Rights Movement at the National Press Club.

Speakers said many provisions of the treaty contradict many articles of the Constitution and were discriminatory to the Bangalis in the hills.

BNP leaders Lt Gen (Retd) Mahbubur Rahman, Rizvi Ahmed, Awami League leader Maj Gen (Retd) Subid Ali Bhuyian, Jatiya Ganotantrik Party President Shafiul Alam Prodhan, NAP President Mostak Ahmed, tribal peoples' representative Rup Kumar Chakma, among others, spoke at the meeting, presided over by journalist Sadek Khan. Advocate Tajul Islam read out the keynote paper.

Gen Mahbub said though ten years have passed the peace did not come to the hills. "Army should not be withdrawn from the CHT as they had done a lot for the development of the region," said Gen Mahbub.

He said time has come to review the treaty.

Gen Subid Ali said the CHTT was signed at a dreadful situation in the hills and after ten years of the treaty peace has come to the hills to some extent.

"No treaty is perfect. So the CHTT should be implemented even after revision of some of the provisions to maintain peace in that region," he said about the emand of review of the CHTT.

About the allegation that India was responsible for creating unrest in the CHT Gen Subid Ali said, "India is no enemy to us. Friendly relationship with the neighbouring country should be maintained."

Rizvi Ahmed said the CHTT has questioned the sovereignty and independence of the country as a big portion of the country was let to a small portion of ethnic people.

"Equal rights among the Bangalis and tribal people should be established in the hills by reviewing the CHTT," he said.

Advocate Tajul Islam in his paper said the CHTT contradicts with the articles 1,6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 19, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 36, 42, 55, 56, 59, 66, 94, 106, 122 and 145 of the Constitution.

He said the Bangalis in the hills were repressed by the CHTT.