Congratulation to the Govt.of BD

February- 02, 2008
Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed
Hon. Chief Advisor
Care Taker Government
People’s Republic of Bangladesh
Dhaka, Bangladesh

Re. Congratulations on the appointment of Raja Devashis Roy, Bar-at-Law, Chakma Chief as Special Assistant to Chief Advisor
Sir,

We, the members of the Bangladeshi CHT American Buddhist Association, would like to congratulate you on the appointment of Barrister Raja Devashis Roy as Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor of the Care-Taker Government, People’s Republic of Bangladesh..

Needless to say that this appointment is a great honor for the minority communities of Bangladesh, especially the Indigenous people of greater CHT. We are really happy to see that the current government has taken the wise decision of appointing an appropriately qualified leader with national and international exposure who can oversee the well-being of ethnic minorities and deal with the present situation of CHT, if the government machineries cooperate and assist him with their positive well wishes. This appointment is not only the recognition of his unique background, knowledge, experience, dedication and leadership skills but also the indication of the government’s willingness to solve the decades long prevailing issues causing unrest and unfortunate bloodshed in the region.

This appointment gives us a hope that the long-waited inter-racial harmony and peaceful coexistence will prevail in CHTs as expected during the signing ceremony of historic CHT Peace Accord which is the result of multiparty negotiations involving major political parties of Bangladesh for a considerable period of time.

In the course of this occasion, we have the privilege to mention that the current initiatives of the government against corruptions, socio-economic inequalities; and to remove anomalies of judicial and executive systems of the government have earned higher level of appreciation from home and abroad. We also congratulate and declare our solidarity with the government for such noble initiatives and success.

It is also well recognized that these initiatives could hardly be possible if the Bangladesh Army would not come forward with their active support and positive attitude during the crucial situation prevailing just before and after ‘1/11’. We pay our tribute and respect to Bangladesh Army for their generous role in that critical situation that saved the country from serious disaster; and hope that their active support will continue to establish country’s image in a prestigious position in the world community.
We believe that CHT region is an integral part of Bangladesh and the country’s socio-political stability cannot be achieved in isolation without addressing the very issue of the peace-loving indigenous citizens of Bangladesh residing in the CHT region.

We sincerely hope that the current leadership of this Government will take the CHT issue as an inseparable component of its reform mandate and take immediate steps towards the peaceful solutions of the problems of Chittagong Hill Tracts through implementation of historic CHT Peace Accord that will lead to the socio-economic development of the region; and will have an impact on overall national development.

In this context, we would like to reiterate that the specific historic, topographic, demographic, and cultural characteristics of CHT region should deserve special consideration in finding a permanent solution of the problem, as acknowledged and adopted by South Asian countries and other countries of the world in their own countries for the solution of ethnic minority problems, even in the USA.

We are confident that Barrister Raja Devashis Roy will be able to represent the fellow ethnic communities well in and receive constructive support from the government; and we wish him and the Government a grand success in their responsibilities.

We do believe in and advocate for practice of basic human rights, religious harmony, peaceful co-existence, and preservation of special rights and identity of ethnic minorities along side by side with majority community as chartered by UNO and other International Organizations.

We strongly condemn terrorism, racialism, socio-economic disparity, and ill designed and ill motivated sponsored internal migration.

May Lord Buddha bless Raja Devashis Roy, the Government of Bangladesh, and the people of Bangladesh for peace, happiness and prosperity.

Best regards.

(Kirti Ranjan Chakma)
President
Bangladeshi-CHT American Buddhist Association
California, USA

Copies to:

1.General M.U. Ahmed
Chief of Bangladesh Army
Dhaka, Bangladesh.

2.Raja Devashis Roy, Bar-at-Law
Chakma Chief, Rangamati
And
Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor
Care Taker Government
People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

3.Mr. Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma
Chairman, CHTs Regional Council
Rangamati, Bangladesh

4.Charge’ d’ Affaires
Embassy of the United States
Dhaka, Bangladesh

5.Ambassador
Embassy of Bangladesh
Washington, D.C, USA

6.Chairmen
Hill District Councils
Rangamati / Khagrachari / Bandarban

7.Press Club, Dhaka/Chittagong/Rangamati, Bangladesh