http://www.thedailystar.net/2003/12/08/d3120801077.htm
The Daily Star, Mon. December 08, 2003
Our Correspondent, Khagrachhari
The three hill districts of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) remained tense as Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) called for a dawn-to-dusk hartal today amid opposition from the UPDF (United Peoples' Democratic Front) and the ruling four-party alliance.
The PCJSS called the daylong strike to press for removal of the chairman of the CHT Development Board among its other demands.
Jyotindra Lal Tripura, convenor of the district Awami League, has issued a statement supporting the hartal. "The AL will support any democratic programme aimed to implement the peace accord," he said in the statement.
The other PCJSS demands are implementation of the 1997 peace accord, removal of the temporary army camp from the CHT region and appointment of a full indigenous minister to the CHT affairs ministry.
The local chapter of the four-party alliance has vowed to thwart today's strike through a counter agitation programme.
The anti-peace accord UPDF is also opposing the hartal, although it has not announced any counter measures. The UPDF has demanded resignation of PCJSS leader Shantu Larma as chairman of the CHT Regional Council.
Additional police and army have been deployed in the three hill districts of Khagrachhari, Rangamati and Bandarban.
The PCJSS organised a rally and brought out a procession yesterday in the three districts in support of today's hartal. The four-party alliance organised an anti-hartal rally in Khagrachhari where local leaders demanded Shantu Larma's removal from the post of chairman of the CHT Regional Council. No violence was reported.
Deputy Commissioner of Khagrachhari Mahbubur Rahman said security has been
tightened to maintain law and order during the strike.