The Independent, 30 September 2003
http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/sep/30/30092003mt.htm#A1
KAMRAN REZA CHOWDHURY
Differences of opinion came to the fare among the BNP lawmakers over the implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord signed between the tribal insurgents and the previous Awami League government in 1997.
Deputy Minister for CHT Affairs Moni Swapan Dewan, in the second meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on CHT Affairs at the Jatiya Sangsad yesterday, expressed his desire to quit his office alleging dilly-dally in the implementation of the peace accord and rehabilitation of the refugees returning from India. On the other hand, Moazzem Hossain Alal, MP, a committee member, criticised the Minister and demanded that Dewan's statement should be expunged from the proceedings of the meeting, committee sources said.
The chairman of the committee, Mosharraf Hossain, however, declined to expunge Dewan’s statement. Some BNP lawmakers also alleged that Dewan, a former leader of the Shantibahini, the armed group of the Jana Sanghati Samity (JSS), proposed in the meeting to induct four members, who were leaders of the JSS, in the Task Force to oversee the rehabilitation of the refugees coming back to Bangladesh after signing of the peace accord.
The meeting discussed the report on the visit of the members of the Standing Committee on CHT Affairs to Mahalchhari on 8 September. In addition to adopting immediate steps to help the victims of the clashes between the hilly people and the Bengalees in four villages of Mahalchhari thana, the committee urged the concerned authorities to probe the alleged negligence of duties by the district administration and the police and take necessary action in this regard.
The meeting also suggested to request the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief to take immediate measures to supply housing building materials to the victims of the violent incident that took place between August 24-26 in Mahalchhari in Khagrachhari district.
"We cannot bring peace in the CHT as the peace accord has been lying unimplemented for a long time. Besides, conditions for the rehabilitation of the refugees have not been met yet. So, why should I hold the office of CHT Ministry, get me relieved of the responsibility," an angry Moni Swapan Dewan told in the meeting. He also said that peace will be elusive in the hill tracts unless the accord was materialised, some committee members told The Independent after the meeting.
The meeting sources said that Dewan proposed that Chakma King Devashish Roy, Somiron Dewan, Ravindra Lal Chakma and Nandit Roy should be inducted in the Taks Force to oversee the rehabilitation of the refugees. But, a BNP lawmaker opposed Dewan and proposed the name of tribal leaders belonging to BNP.
The Task Force was formed after the peace accord was signed and its former chairman Dipankar Talukdar, an AL lawmaker, resigned from his post before the October 1 general elections of 2001.
"Dewan has secret nexus with the JSS members and is trying to destabilise the situation in the CHT region," a member of the committee told this newspaper on condition of the anonymity.
"This is not the right forum to threaten resigning. So, I demand that the statement of the Minister should be expunged from the proceedings of the meeting," Moazzem Hossain Alal, a lawmaker elected from a constituency in Barisal, said.