MONITORING STAFF
The tribal organisation opposed to the CHT Peace Treaty enforced a road blockade programme yesterday in Khagrachhari district that snapped road link between the district and the rest of the country.
The anti-peace treaty organisation United Peoples Democratic Front (UPDF) called the road blockade programme last week in protest against the killing of its worker in Khagrachhari. UPDF alleged that supporters of the Jana Sanghati Samity (JSS) that signed the peace treaty, were responsible for the killing. But JSS leaders denied the allegation.
Meanwhile, in fresh violence between two rival tribal organisations in the region two persons were shot dead in the past two days.
Sana Sanghati Samity has called hartal in the CHT region on December 8.
A tense situation has been prevailing in the region as rivalry between the two tribal organisations is intensifying day by day.
Our Staff Correspondent from Chittagong adds: The CHT situation has flared up again with the diverging demands of the two confronting tribal groups that may lead to resumption of insurgency in the hills.
One Jana Sanghati Samity leader named Kiron Kumar Chakma was allegedly killed by the UPDF gunmen at Panchari Friday last. Jana Sanghati Samity alleged that the UPDF gunmen had killed their activist Kiron Kumar. On the other hand, one UPDF man Gyaneshwar Chakma was killed on December 2 last. UPDF alleged that Gyaneshwar Chakma had been killed by the JSS gunmen.
Moreover, two tribal rival groups JSS and UPDF locked in two-hour long gunbattle at Hajachara and Pajachara area under Mahalchari upazila yesterday.
Over 400 rounds of fire were exchanged between the two tribal fighting groups.
It may be mentioned that tribal insurgency that started in 1975 lasted for
over two decades in CHT region that claimed over 20,000 lives. The National
Committee on Chittagong Hill Tracts (NCCHT) and Parbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghati
Samity (PCJSS), on December 2, 1997 signed the historic peace accord to end
the insurgency in the country’s south-eastern hill tracts.