http://www.thedailystar.net/2003/12/25/d3122501022.htm
The Daily Star, Thu. December 25, 2003
Staff Correspondent
The government will transfer three more institutions under the education and youth and sports ministries to the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Regional Council as part of efforts to implement the CHT Peace Agreement.
The decision was taken at the sixth meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Implementation of the CHT Agreement held with committee Chairman and Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan in the chair.
Two institutions under the youth and sports ministry and the primary education training institute under the education ministry will be transferred to the council soon, meeting sources said.
Land Minister M Shamsul Islam, Deputy Minister for CHT Affairs Moni Swapan Dewan, CHT Affairs Secretary Syed Mustaq and top officials were present at the meeting.
A four-member delegation of the regional council and leaders of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) led by Goutam Chakma attended the meeting. Other members of the delegation were Sudha Shindhu Khisa, Raktotpal Tripura and Sadhuram Tripura.
Emerging from the meeting, Bhuiyan said: "It is a very big agreement with many articles and clauses. It is not possible to implement the entire deal in a day or two."
"So far, we've made remarkable progress. We hope to implement the agreement in phases."
He said in line with previous decisions, the government included two regional council members in the CHT taskforce and the establishment of district and sessions judge's courts and land commission offices in the region were under implementation.
"We will try our best to implement the decisions taken in all the six meetings of the committee as early as possible. We are continuing discussion with the regional council members and the process will continue," he added.
Talking to journalists, Goutam said the decisions taken up to the fifth meeting of the cabinet body were being realised.
He said the regional council wanted transfer of the entire division instead of a single institution, delaying the process.
"We never wanted implementation of the entire CHT agreement overnight ...we want proper and timely implementation of the pact," Goutam added.
Declining his comment on the pace of the landmark peace deal implementation, he said both the government and PCJSS were trying to implement the accord.
Goutam said all problems and troubles in the hilly terrain dating decades back could be resolved only through proper and complete implementation of the peace pact.
About PCJSS's demand of removal of CHT Development Board Chairman Abdul Wadud Bhuiyan, Goutam said they gave the authorities a December 31 deadline to meet the 'just demand'.
He accused Wadud of activities against the peace agreement and communal peace
in the highlands when the government and PCJSS were trying to implement the
deal.