Daily Star

Front Page
Volume 3 Number 737 Thu. September 27, 200

PCJSS calls hartal in CHT Sept 30 & Oct 1 to resist polls

UNB, Rangamati

Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) has called a two-day hartal in three hill districts September 30 and October 1 to resist the general election.

A press release issued by the PCJSS yesterday said that it would enforce the hartal to realise its eight-point demand.

The demands include rehabilitation of jumma and repatriated people, withdraw of all army camps, amendment to the Land Act 2001 and cancellation of 'illegal' voter list.

Panic gripped the hilly region as PCJSS called the hartal to prevent the October 1 general election.

CHT people won't accept elections results: Larma

UNB, Khagrachhari

Tribal leader Santu Larma forewarned that people of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) would not accept whatever the results of October 1 parliamentary elections are.

"The hopes and aspirations of the people of CHT are not reflected in this polls," he said talking to reporters at the local Circuit House Monday morning, barely a week before the national elections.

The leader of PCJSS and Chairman of CHT regional Council, however, said his people had no intentions of applying force on the people to resist the election in the hill area.

"We have urged to resist and boycott the polls because our various demands, including fresh voters list based on permanent residency," have not been fulfilled.

Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, popularly known as Santu Larma, alleged that the past Awami League government did not implement the Peace Agreement or fulfill their demands. He said the caretaker government also paid no heed to their legitimate demands.

He observed certain groups are spreading misleading propaganda. "All we are doing is motivating the people and have no intention of applying force."

Referring to recent incidents of killings in the hills Santu Larma refuted any connection of his party with those. He, however, said the incidents were happening because of resentment over non-implementation of the Peace Accord.

Santu Larma also criticised the past three members of parliament elected from the three hill districts of Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban for failing to come up to the hopes and aspirations of the hill people during their tenure.

He accused them of looking into their personal gains and not into the problems of the people of their constituencies.