The Daily Star, Wed. November 05, 2003
http://www.thedailystar.net/2003/11/05/d311053501114.htm
Star Chittagong
Nurul Alam
The increased incidents of violence have cast a shadow over return of normalcy in the Chittagong Hill Tracts even over five years after the signing of peace agreement.
The then Awami League government signed the peace agreement in December, 1997 with the Parbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS), the political outfit of Shantibahini, that ended a two-decade long bush war in CHT, home for 13 tribes.
According to official reports, the bush war left 2,500 people killed, but unofficially it was around5,000.
Since the signing of peace agreement, one hundred and sixty-nine people were
killed, 254 injured and 363 people abducted in 786 incidents in the CHT.
Police and security sources said the unrest in the rugged hills sparked a panicky situation there.
Most of the casualties and incidents were linked to the clashes between pro-peace
PCJSS supporters and the activists of anti-peace accord, United People's Democratic
Front (UPDF), tribesmen and Bengali settlers, security patrols and tribal activists,
security sources said.
August 26 incident at Mohalchhari upazila in Khagrachhari that left one tribal
killed, 30 others injured and 400 tribesmen homeless, fuelled the unrest in
the CHT, locals and law enforcers said.
Tribesmen blamed the Bengali settlers for the incident and setting fire to their
houses at Mohalchhari on August 26.
Tribal leaders also blamed the law enforcers for backing the settlers during
the attacks.
But the law enforcers denied the allegation.
PCJSS President and Chairman of CHT-based regional council, Jotirindrio Bodhiprio
Larma alias Shantu Larma, said the situation worsened in the hills after the
Mahalchhari incident unleashed by Bengali settlers. Tribesmen have become panicked
and felt insecure, Larma said. They still feel shaky as they fear fresh violence,
he said.
He said delay in implementation of peace accord fully and government's latent
support to terrorists here had resulted in the escalation of violence tuning
the whole situation volatile.
But we are ready to launch movement against all misdeeds here, Larma said adding
our hope for restoration of peace through signing of an accord has been shattered
as incidents of violence are increasing day by day.
Upendra Lal Chakma, former chairman of the Tribal Refugee Welfare Association,
said we are again passing our days in panic and frustration. We don't know what
is going to happen in future as the situation reached an alarming stage in the
CHT, he added.
Referring to the Mahalchhari incident, Upendra said this is the third major
incident in Khagrachhari in two years after Buachhari and Dighinala incidents.
He said the affected tribesmen did not get any help yet from the government
for their rehabilitation and survival.
The security forces have intensified patrol as tensions mounted in the CHT after
the increase of incidents of violence, administration sources said.
A senior security official seeking anonymity said we have launched massive raids
to defuse tension.
The measures were also taken to rehabilitate the homeless tribesmen in Mohalchhari,
sources said.