Call to scrap National Consensus Commission’s meeting with UPDF
PARBATTANEWS DESK REPORT
An activist has called for the immediate cancellation of a scheduled meeting between the National Consensus Commission and the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF), terming the group an “unregistered and armed separatist organisation.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Engineer Thoai Ching Mong Shak, a political activist from the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), said the region’s crisis is not just a regional issue but is directly linked to national sovereignty and security.
He said that from 1971 to 2025, the people of the CHT have not enjoyed the benefits of true independence. “Under the shadow of India’s expansionist policy, a certain group has repeatedly undermined Bangladesh’s sovereignty,” he said.
Shak alleged that organisations operating with support from India’s intelligence agency, RAW, are still pushing for separatism in the name of “autonomy,” with a long-term goal of creating a state called “Jummaland.”
He further claimed that several armed groups—including JSS, UPDF, and KNF—are involved in extortion, killings, and abductions in the hill tracts.
Referring to reports of an upcoming government meeting with UPDF, Shak said, “How can a state commission engage in talks with an organisation accused of killing military personnel and civilians? Is this not an indirect recognition of separatism?”
He also expressed concern over the presence of Santu Larma in India under what he described as official protocol, suggesting it may indicate diplomatic recognition at some level.
In his statement, Shak issued five demands:
* Cancellation of the scheduled 15 May meeting with UPDF;
* Removal of individuals linked to separatist agendas, including Dr Iftekharuzzaman, from the National Consensus Commission;
* Ban on all activities of UPDF, JSS, KNF, and their affiliates;
* Legal action against those involved in terrorism and extortion in the CHT;
* Withdrawal of protocol and prevention of alleged subversive activities by Santu Larma.
He concluded, “No dream of forming a separate state in the name of autonomy should ever be allowed on the soil of Bangladesh. The Chittagong Hill Tracts has always been—and will remain—an inseparable part of this country.”
