| BD Govt starts 'biggest army pullout' from CHT Dhaka, July 29 (bdnews24.com) – The government has announced the "biggest withdrawal" of army troops from the Chittagong Hill Tracts since a peace accord was signed over a decade ago in an attempt to bring stability to the long-troubled region. The withdrawal of a complete brigade, including three infantry battalions and 35 security camps, will start immediately, an ISPR press release said Wednesday. The withdrawal will be completed by September, it added. "Mentionable that this will the biggest army withdrawal from the area after the [accord was] signed," said the statement. "The government is expecting that this army withdrawal would be considered as a milestone by the hill people to implement the pledges given by the government." Since the CHT peace treaty was signed 12 years ago, a total of 200 security camps have been withdrawn from the tracts in different phases, according to the statement. "In order to end insurgency and establish permanent peace in Chittagong Hill Tracts, a historical peace treaty was signed in 1997 which was [the] demand of hill people for almost two decades. "The Bangladesh government is very sincere and committed to fully realise the treaty," it said. "To implement the treaty Bangladesh has taken some steps of which the highlights are (a) To form Peace Treaty Implementation Committee in national level to observe the Peace Treaty Implementation procedure. (b) To reform Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chittagong Hilltracts Affairs and arrange continuous meeting to resolve multifaceted problems of Chittagong Hill Districts, (c) To start reform process of land commission," said the statement. "The government is seeking all out co-operation and support of hill people and other population to ensure co-existence of all the people irrespective of religion and caste and to restore law and order situation and development activities to continue in the area," it said. 'Trouble-spot The army was deployed in the troubled area after indigenous communities, led by Chakma leaders, took up arms in the 1970s in protest at the newly independent Bangladesh government's "inaction" over their various demands. These included decommissioning the Kaptai hydroelectric project and restoration of traditional land rights. The Kaptai Lake, built in the 1960s, inundated the empire of the Chakma King, inundating vast tracts of land and displacing thousands of people. Many fled across the border to India to wage a campaign of insurgency against the Bangladesh army. According to the peace deal signed with Pabatya Chattagram Janasanghati Saminit (PCJSS) in 1997, the government pledged to pull out all army troops from the CHT in phases. But no tangible measures were taken for wholesale withdrawal of troops from the troubled area. The Awami League government, which signed the original deal, began implementing the peace accord to change the lot of the indigenous people. |
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