Government implements 65 of 72 clauses in Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord

The government has successfully implemented 65 out of the 72 clauses outlined in the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord.

A thorough review conducted by an inter-ministerial committee led by the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs confirms this achievement.

According to the review, three clauses are partially implemented, and four are still in progress.

On December 2, 1997, a committee formed by the then-Awami League government, led by then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, signed the Peace Accord with JSS president Santu Larma to address the insurgency in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

According to an investigation conducted by Parbatta News, it was stated for so long that the government had implemented 48 clauses of the long-term Peace Accord, with 15 clauses being partially implemented, and 9 clauses currently in progress.

Meanwhile, though the present government under the leadership of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Minister Bir Bahadur made remarkable strides in advancing the implementation of the Peace Accord, it was not officially updated to reflect these advancements.

That’s why, the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs established an inter-ministerial committee on September 28, 2022, to scrutinize the matter. The committee included representatives from the ministries of foreign affairs, law, land affairs, education, and local government affairs.

Following an extensive review, the committee unanimously submitted a report on the progress of implementing the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord to the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts on December 29, 2022, claiming the successful implementation of 65 clauses.

THE CLAUSES OF THE PEACE ACCORD THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED:

The Peace Accord is divided into four parts. Part A (Ka) has four clauses, Part B (Kha) has thirty-five clauses, Part C (Ga) has fourteen clauses, and Part D (Gha) has nineteen clauses, totaling seventy-two clauses.

In Part Ka, clauses 1, 2, 3, and 4 have been implemented.

In Part B, clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35 have been fully implemented, clause 19 has been partially implemented, and the implementation of clauses 24 and 26 is in progress.

In Part C, clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 have been fully implemented.

In Part D, clauses 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, and 19 have been fully implemented, clauses 4 and 17 have been partially implemented, and the implementation of clauses 2 and 3 is in progress.

When asked about the progress, Chittagong Hill Tract Affairs Minister Bir Bahadur U Shai Singh MP expressed that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had the Accord signed. So, none can be more sincere in implementing this accord than her.

The Prime Minister’s sincerity towards the Chittagong Hill Tracts has led to enormous development in the hill tracts. So, the Chittagong Hill Tracts are no longer a backward region, he said.

Under her leadership, Bir Bahadur added, the current government has implemented most of the clauses of the Peace Accord and he will implement the Peace Accord fully – this is her commitment.