tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13146125236697164332024-03-12T17:48:38.744+06:00CHT NEWS UPDATEChittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is a military controlled area, where all the news are filtered by the military and the Bangladeshi government.CHT, where blood has shed for decades and hopes were burnt to ashes by the brutes, constitutes of people who want their voice to be heard. We are here to ensure that the voice of these unheard victims in CHT echo around the world despite the Bangladeshi government trying to suppress them in the biased state run media.
Our email : chtnewsupdate(at)gmail.comCHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.comBlogger833125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-5910485016544711502017-01-08T15:21:00.000+06:002017-01-08T15:21:57.339+06:00Update about this newsblog<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Dear all,<br /><br />We are sorry to inform you that due to some technical issues, we are not being able to update this blog anymore. However, you can still contact us on facebook or through email if you need assistance or information related to CHT issues. For updated information on CHT, please feel free to visit the following pages:<br /><br /><a href="http://kapaeeng.org/">http://kapaeeng.org/</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/chtfoundation/">https://www.facebook.com/chtfoundation/</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.pcjss-cht.org/" target="_blank">http://www.pcjss-cht.org/ </a><br />
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<a href="http://chtnews.com/english/">http://chtnews.com/english/</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/chtnewscom-1374244922813560/">https://www.facebook.com/chtnewscom-1374244922813560/</a><br />
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Thanks,<br />
Admin.<br />
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CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com83tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-91850168044033899272015-01-12T02:36:00.002+06:002015-01-12T02:36:33.679+06:00Jummas in Rangamati under attack #CHTJummaUnderAttack<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Please follow our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/chtnewsupdate" target="_blank">facebook</a> page for updates on ongoing attack on Jummas in Rangamati <span class="fbPhotoCaptionText"><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/chtjummaunderattack">#CHTJummaUnderAttack</a> </span>:<br />
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CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com76tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-52896111269789374552014-12-09T11:08:00.003+06:002014-12-09T11:08:57.710+06:00Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord: 17 Years on, CHT land rights still not settled, U-turn by the government<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<em>The Daily Star, 2 December 2014</em><br /><br /> <strong><em><span style="font-size: 18px;">Peace Accord: 17 Years on</span></em></strong><strong></strong><br /> <strong><span style="font-size: 24px;">CHT land rights still not settled</span></strong><br /> <em>Land commission amendment bill not passed in 13 years; hill people losing land</em><br /><br /> <em>Pinaki Roy</em><br /><br />
Nearly two decades since the signing of the Chittagong Hill Tracts
Peace Accord, the government is nowhere near ensuring the land rights of
the hill people. A key provision of the 1997 accord is to give back
their land taken away from them by government and non-government actors,
but it is a right that exists only on paper.<br /><br /> In all, some one
lakh indigenous families in the three hill districts -- Bandarban,
Rangamati and Khagrachhari -- had lost all or some of their lands. Of
them, around 90,000 families were locally displaced during insurgency
and nearly 10,000 are refugee families repatriated from India following
the deal. They have yet to get back their lands. The repatriated
families totalled 12,212.<br /><br /> Over the years, different government
agencies and Bangalee settlers have occupied the homesteads and agro
lands that once belonged to the Jumma people. The local administration
has also leased out hundreds of acres of land to different individuals
and businesses.<br /><br /> Indigenous leaders say the government has been
dragging its feet over amending the relevant law that will empower the
CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission to ensure indigenous people's
land rights.<br /><br /> “Land is the most important issue for the
indigenous people. But the government is purposefully dilly-dallying
over resolving the matter,” said Mangal Kumar Chakma, publication
secretary of the Parbtya Chattagram Jana Sanghaty Samity (PCJSS), which
signed the peace accord with the government. Instead of settling the
issue, different government agencies have also continued to occupy their
land, he alleged.<br /><br /> In 2011 alone, at least 7,118 acres of land
belonging to indigenous people were grabbed by Bangalee settlers in the
three hill districts, according to a 2012 report of Bangladesh Legal Aid
Services Trust (BLAST).<br /><br /> The ruling Awami League was in power
when the deal was signed. Since then, the party has formed two more
governments in 2008 and in January this year. But it has done little so
far to amend the CHT Land Commission Amendment Bill 2001.<br /><br /> Once
passed, the law will solve the issues of land ownership and land
management. But the government has shelved the bill for all these years,
said Mangal Chakma. Moreover, the government is now set to pass some
laws that will go against the spirit of the peace accord itself, alleged
other indigenous leaders.<br /><br /> Asked about the status of the
amendment bill, chief of the House body on the land ministry Rezaul
Karim Hira said he was not aware of it. The previous parliament had sent
the bill to the relevant committee for scrutiny.<br /><br /> Under the
rules, the House cannot pass any bill placed in the previous parliament.
This means, the bill will have to be brought before parliament afresh.
Against this backdrop, PCJSS President Santu Larma has said they would
start a non-cooperation movement from <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_323009475"><span class="aQJ">May 1</span></span> next year if the treaty is not implemented by then.<br /><br /> <strong>STATUS OF CHT LAND </strong><br /><br />
According to the Land Revenue Administration Report of 1965-66, there
were 32,59,520 acres of land in the CHT. Fifty-one percent of them were
declared reserve forest. Of the rest 49 percent, only 1,30,000 acres
were cropland, of which 54,000 acres (40 percent) were submerged due to
the Kaptai dam, constructed for hydropower project in the 1960s in
Rangamati.<br /><br /> The project displaced about a third of the
indigenous population in the district, which was the key reason for the
armed conflicts in the hills. As the indigenous people started to target
the security forces in the late 1970s, the government took up a
programme to drastically increase Bangalee settlements there in efforts
to weaken insurgency.<br /><br /> From 1979 to 1985, some 80,000 families
from the plains were brought to the hills. Each of these families was
given about 10 acres of croplands and hilly lands, indigenous leaders
claim.<br /> Most of these lands belonged to the indigenous people, suggest different studies.<br /><br /> <strong>'GOVT WORKING'</strong><br /><br />
The government claims it has implemented at least 48 of the 72 peace
pact provisions fully and 15 partially while implementation of nine
other provisions are underway.<br /><br /> “I would say 95 percent
provisions of the peace accord have been implemented. The government is
working to implement the rest within the shortest possible time,” said
Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, chief of Parliamentary Standing Committee on
the Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Ministry.<br /><br /> Contacted, Naba
Bikram Tripura, secretary of the ministry, said implementation of the
treaty was an ongoing process. He said the ministry held a meeting
yesterday on the amendment bill.<br /> CHT Minister Bir Bahadur Ushwe
Sing, Santu Larma, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Adviser Gowher Rizvi
and the secretary, among others, attended the meeting. <br /><br /> The CHT
Land Dispute Resolution Commission Act was passed in 2001. So far, six
such commissions have been formed, but none has been functional due to
legal tangles.<br /><br /> <strong>Published: </strong><em>12:02 am Tuesday, December 02, 2014</em> <br /> <a href="http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/cht-land-rights-still-not-settled-52967" target="_blank">http://www.thedailystar.net/<wbr></wbr>frontpage/cht-land-rights-<wbr></wbr>still-not-settled-52967</a><br /> ..............................<br />
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<wbr></wbr>.........................<br /> The Daily Star, 2 December 2014<br /><br /> <em><span style="font-size: 18px;">Implementation of CHT Accord</span></em><br /> <strong><span style="font-size: 24px;">U-turn by the government</span></strong><br /> <em>Mangal Kumar Chakma</em><br /><br />
THIS year marks the passing of 17 years since signing of Chittagong
Hill Tracts (CHT) Accord, 1997 on December 2, 1997, between the
Government of Bangladesh and PCJSS. Since assuming power in 2009, the
Awami League-led grand alliance has not taken any step that is worth
mentioning towards implementation of the core issues of the Accord.<br />
The Awami League government (1996-2001) initially implemented a few
provisions of the CHT Accord. Among them are passing of CHTRC Act and
three HDC Acts in 1998, establishment of CHT Affairs Ministry,
repatriation of Jumma refugees from India, and withdrawal of around 66
temporary camps (though the government claimed withdrawal of 172 camps).
However, the main issues, such as preservation of tribe-inhabited
feature/status of the region; introduction of special governance system
in CHT with CHTRC and HDCs and devolution of powers and functions to
them; resolution of land disputes; demilitarisation, etc. are yet to be
implemented.<br /><br /> The government, including the prime minister, has
been claiming that altogether 48 out of 72 sections of the CHT Accord
have been implemented in the meantime and 15 sections out of the rest
have been partially implemented while the remaining 9 sections are under
implementation process. This is not fully accurate. As per observation
of PCJSS, only 25 sections out of 72 sections of the CHT Accord have
been implemented so far. Thirty four sections of the Accord still remain
totally unimplemented while 13 sections have been partially
implemented. This means that two-third of the sections of the Accord
have been unimplemented as of this day.<br /><br /> For instance, analysis
of Sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 under Part-A of the Accord, which the
government says have already been implemented, disproves the
government's claim. Section-1 of the Accord stipulates: ”Both the
parties, having considered the CHT region as a tribe-inhabited region,
recognised the need of preserving special features of this region and
attaining the overall development thereof.” But this aspect still
remains confined to the papers. No legal or effective safeguard measures
have so far been taken to preserve or restore the tribe-inhabited
feature of the region. No office order, directive or notification to
that effect has been passed by the government. As a result, unabated
migration of outsiders into CHT is taking place through different ways
and means, which has led to the loss of the very tribal-inhabited
feature of the region.<br /><br /> The government, on the one hand, has
been dilly-dallying in implementing the core issues of the CHT Accord,
while formulating anti-accord laws and programmes on the other. For
instance, without holding elections in the three HDCs and CHTRC and
contrary to the opinion of the CHT people, the government, on November
23, 2014, amended three HDC Acts by increasing the numerical strength of
the members of three interim HDCs from 5 to 15, including the chairman.
Before signing of the CHT Accord, though the tenure of HDCs had already
expired, the successive governments did not take any initiative to hold
elections for these councils during the last 22 years. No initiative
has yet been undertaken to formulate Election Rules of chairmen and
members of the HDCs and Electoral Roll Rules for the purpose. The
5-member interim HDCs formed with the ruling party members have been
functioning in an undemocratic way. In fact, these nominated interim
HDCs work without any obligation and accountability to the people.
Instead of holding elections for these institutions, the government has
recently amended the laws of these councils to run the HDCs in an unfair
manner. The main objective of making amendments to the three HDC Acts
seems to be to by-pass the elections for the CHT institutions and
deprive the CHT people from their political rights to franchise and
access to representation and, above all, to shelve the implementation of
the CHT Accord tactfully.<br /><br /> Unlike prompt amendment of three HDC
Acts, which was made within six months, amendment of CHT Land Dispute
Resolution Commission Act 2001 has been kept pending for 13 years,
including 6 years of the grand alliance government. This law was passed
in 2001 without consultation with or advice from CHTRC, hence, several
issues contravening CHT Accord were included in it. When the present
government was formed in January 2009, the CHTRC once again sent its
recommendations to it for bringing amendment to this law. After a series
of meetings, CHT Affairs Ministry, in consultation with CHTRC,
finalised 13-point amendment proposals for amendment of the Act, which
was also endorsed by CHT Accord Implementation Committee. But the
government has been delaying in amending the law as per the 13-point
recommendations. Due to non-resolution of land-related disputes in the
CHT, ethnic conflicts and forcible occupation of lands belonging to the
indigenous Jummas continue.<br /><br /> The prompt amendment of HDC Acts on
one hand and delay in amendment of Land Commission Act year after year
on the other, make it look as if the government is not sincere about
implementing the Accord fully. While CHTRC Complex Project has been kept
pending ever since the formation of the apex body of CHT special
administrative setup in 1999, the selection of sites for establishing
medical college and science and technology unversity is another
instance of the government's confusing policy in implementing the CHT
Accord. The government is keen to rehabilitate the poor people through
Ashrayan Project in CHT while measures for rehabilitation of internally
displaced Jumma families have not been taken in the last 17 years,
though it is one of the obligations stipulated in the CHT Accord.<br /><br />
In fact, there cannot be any alternative to implementation of CHT
Accord for ensuring proper political solution to the longstanding crisis
and establishing peace in CHT. CHT people urge the government for a
speedy resolution by drawing up a time-bound roadmap of the
implementation process of the Accord in order to ascertain good
governance and pro-people and environmentally balanced development in
CHT, thereby ensuring peace and all-round development in the region.<br /><br /> <strong>The writer is Information and Publicity Secretary of PCJSS.</strong><br /><br /> <strong>Published: </strong><em>12:00 am Tuesday, December 02, 2014</em><br /><br /> <a href="http://www.thedailystar.net/op-ed/u-turn-by-the-government-52921" target="_blank">http://www.thedailystar.net/<wbr></wbr>op-ed/u-turn-by-the-<wbr></wbr>government-52921</a><br /><br /> ..............................<wbr></wbr>..............<br /> More article in Bangla:<br /><br /> Daily Prothom Alo: <a href="http://www.prothom-alo.com/opinion/article/386203/%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%82%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A7%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A7%A7%E0%A7%AD-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%9B%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%93" target="_blank">http://www.prothom-alo.com/<wbr></wbr>opinion/article/386203/%E0%A6%<wbr></wbr>AE%E0%A7%82%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%<wbr></wbr>B8%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%8D%<wbr></wbr>E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%<wbr></wbr>E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BE%E0%<wbr></wbr>A6%A7%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8-%E0%<wbr></wbr>A6%B9%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC%E0%A6%<wbr></wbr>A8%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A7%A7%E0%A7%<wbr></wbr>AD-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%9B%E0%A6%<wbr></wbr>B0%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%93</a><br /><br /> Daily Samakal: <a href="http://www.samakal.net/2014/12/02/102140" target="_blank">http://www.samakal.net/2014/<wbr></wbr>12/02/102140</a><br /><br /> <a href="http://www.samakal.net/2014/12/02/102327" target="_blank">http://www.samakal.net/2014/<wbr></wbr>12/02/102327</a><div class="yj6qo ajU">
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CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-40410294001148219722014-12-09T11:08:00.000+06:002014-12-09T11:08:10.695+06:00CHTC concerned over the failure to fully implement the 1997 CHT Accord <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission (CHTC) has expressed
concern over the Government’s lack of political will leading to the
failure of full implementation of the CHT Accord 17 years after its
signing. The CHTC has called upon the Government to urgently adopt and
enforce a roadmap with clear milestones for implementation of the Accord
ensuring full participation of all stakeholders.<br />
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<a href="https://www.scribd.com/doc/249603951/CHTC-Statement-Accord" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View CHTC Statement Accord on Scribd">CHTC Statement Accord</a></div>
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CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-1561338877924989382014-12-09T11:04:00.000+06:002014-12-09T11:04:35.583+06:00PCJSS press conference on implementation of CHT Accord marking 17th anniversary of CHT Accord<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">On 29
November 2014 Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) organised press
conference on implementation of CHT Accord on the occasion of the 17th anniversary
of CHT Accord in Dhaka. President of PCJSS, Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma read
out written statement of PCJSS. Senior leader Pankaj Bhattacharya, president of
Oikya NAP; Ushatun Talukder, MP and vice president of PCJSS; Rabindranath
Soren, president of Jatiya Adivasi Parishad; Numan Ahmed Khan, executive
director of Institute of Environment and Development, advocate Neelufar Banu,
among others, attended the press conference.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In
his written statement, J B Larma said that many ministers and bureaucrats including
the Prime Minister have been propagating that 48 sections out of 72 sections of
the Accord have been implemented in the mean time and 15 sections out of the
rest have been partially implemented while the remaining 9 sections are under implementation
process. In fact, the said statement or report made by the government on
implementation of the CHT Accord is not true as a whole. As per the study of
PCJSS, only 25 sections out of 72 sections of the Accord have been implemented.
There are 34 sections of the Accord still remain unimplemented while 13 sections
of the Accord have been partially implemented. It means that two-third sections
of the Accord are lying unimplemented as of this day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">He
also added that instead of undertaking initiative to implement the
unimplemented significant issues of the Accord, in opposite turn, the
government, having the Accord violated and trampled the legal provisions that
oblige the government to consult with the CHT Regional Council and the three Hill
District Councils in framing up laws on CHT or the laws applicable to CHT, has
stepped up unilateral initiative to amend the Hill District Council Act and
frame up CHT Development Board Act and establishing Science & Technology University
and Medical College in Ranngamati.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">He
opined that CHT crisis is a national and political problem. In fact, the CHT Accord
was signed in greater interest of the country and hence, the duties and
responsibilities of the government is primary in the implementation of the Accord.
In this circumstances, he called upon the government to undertake
timeline-based initiative to implement the unimplemented issues of the Accord
without delay any further. Otherwise, the government will have to responsible
for any sort of undesireable situation in CHT. With this, he declared that ― “If
the government does not undertake time-line-based effective initiative within
<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_323009460"><span class="aQJ">30 April 2015</span></span>, as such, from <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_323009461"><span class="aQJ">1 May 2015</span></span> ‒ (1) Non-cooperation movement against
the government will be commenced under PCJSS leadership and (2) All out
resistance movement against Anti-Accord and counter-Jumma-interest programs
will be accelerated”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="DA" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Rallies, mass gatherings and discussion meetings<span> </span>are going to be held at Upazila and District
levels in CHT including Dhaka and Chittagong at PCJSS initiative on the
occasion of the 17<sup>th</sup> Anniversary of CHT Accord.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.scribd.com/doc/249587438/PCJSS-Press-Statement-on-17th-Anniv-of-CHT-Accord-Eng-final" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View PCJSS Press Statement on 17th Anniv of CHT Accord-Eng-final on Scribd">PCJSS Press Statement on 17th Anniv of CHT Accord-Eng-final</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.scribd.com/doc/249603332/PCJSS-Leaflet-on-Occasion-of-17th-Anniv-of-CHT-Accord" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View PCJSS Leaflet on Occasion of 17th Anniv of CHT Accord on Scribd">PCJSS Leaflet on Occasion of 17th Anniv of CHT Accord</a></div>
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CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-2027942095448158692014-12-09T07:44:00.000+06:002014-12-09T07:44:07.702+06:00Non-implementation may reignite unrest, speakers tell CHT Commission & Bangladesh Indigenous Women's Network discussion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<strong><a href="http://www.thedailystar.net/city/non-implementation-may-reignite-unrest-51794" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 28px;">Non-implementation may reignite unrest</span></a></strong><br /> <em>Speakers tell CHT Commission, Bangladesh Indigenous Women's Network discussion</em><br /><br /> <em>Staff Correspondent</em><br /><br />
The government should ensure the full implementation of the Chittagong
Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord, 1997 before frustration among the
indigenous community leads to unrest and instability in the region
again, speakers told a discussion yesterday.<br /><br /> “My only urge to
the policymakers and government is please implement the CHT accord in
its full content and essence before it is too late,” said Prof Mizanur
Rahman, chairman, National Human Rights Commission.<br /><br /> The
discussion, “Marginalization and Impunity: Violence Against Women and
Girls in the Chittagong Hill Tracts”, was organised by International
Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission (CHTC) and Bangladesh Indigenous
Women's Network (BIWN) in the capital's Chhayanaut Sangskriti Bhaban. <br /><br />
The full implementation is crucial in ensuring security of indigenous
women and ending impunity currently enjoyed by perpetrators of violence,
the speakers noted.<br /><br /> Chanchana Chakma, general secretary of
BIWN, presented excerpts from a CHTC report which showed how from 1976
onwards militarisation and the state's transmigration programmes to
settle Bangalees in the three southeast hill districts created tension
and led to the two-decade-long armed struggle of indigenous people
against the state. The treaty ended the armed struggle but hill women
continued to be targeted in clashes between Bangalees and the indigenous
community, the report mentioned. The report presented case studies of
violence from 2011-2012, showing how the culture of impunity prevailed
in the regions starting with the unsolved case of indigenous leader
Kalpana Chakma's enforced disappearance in 1996.<br /><br /> KS Mong,
member, Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council, stated how women were
often abducted, forced to convert and marry Bangalee men to intimidate
the indigenous community, who were forced to move away to remote areas
for security. Noting that land was the major issue of conflict in CHT,
Mong stressed the need for an effective land commission. “If the
situation continues to be such, we would either announce and leave the
country and take refuge in India or Myanmar or began preparing ourselves
for resistance again,” he said.<br /><br /> Besides the treaty's
implementation, the CHTC report also recommended establishment of a
national commission of inquiry and committee to monitor violence against
women in the CHT to end the culture of impunity. Employing mixed police
force with more women police and sensitising them also came up from
open discussions.<br /><br /> CHTC Co-Chairperson Sultana Kamal, members
Khushi Kabir and Sara Hossain, Adviser Meghna Guhathakurta and
Bangladesh Mahila Parishad President Ayesha Khanom also spoke.<br /><br />
On Saturday rights activists under the banner Nagorik Shomaj formed a
human chain before Bangladesh National Museum demanding immediate
election to the three CHT district councils.<br /><br /> “Undemocratic
forces are becoming permanently rooted in the hill tracts as no election
of the councils had taken place in 22 years,” said Oikya NAP President
Pankaj Bhattacharya, adding that CHT people have reasons to feel utterly
betrayed. <br /><br /> The activists also criticised the government for
mulling over increasing the number of zila parishad members from five to
11. “Increasing the size instead of holding an election clearly means
that the government is doing this to politicise the CHT zila parishad
with its chosen people,” said Prof Mesbah Kamal of history at Dhaka
University.<br /><br /> Khushi Kabir, also coordinator of Nijera Kori;
Sanjeeb Drong, secretary of the Bangladesh Forum for Indigenous People;
Chanchana Chakma, also president of Hill Women's Federation; and
Associate Prof Robaet Ferdous of Dhaka University also spoke.<strong></strong><strong></strong><br /><br /> <a href="http://www.thedailystar.net/city/non-implementation-may-reignite-unrest-51794" target="_blank">http://www.thedailystar.net/<wbr></wbr>city/non-implementation-may-<wbr></wbr>reignite-unrest-51794</a><br /> ..............................<br />
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<wbr></wbr>..........................<br /> <em>Dhaka Tribune, November 24, 2014 </em><br /><span style="font-size: 28px;"><br /> </span><strong><span style="font-size: 28px;"><a href="http://www.dhakatribune.com/law-rights/2014/nov/24/%E2%80%98double-discrimination%E2%80%99-against-indigenous-women" target="_blank">‘Double discrimination’ against indigenous women </a></span></strong><br /> <a href="http://www.dhakatribune.com/author/abid-azad" target="_blank"><strong>Abid Azad</strong></a><strong><br /></strong><br /> <strong>According
to Kapaeeng Foundation, an organisation working for protection of the
rights of indigenous people, 19 cases of sexual violence were reported
from January to April this year</strong><br /><br /> Indigenous women and
girls face “double discrimination” – first as women, then as indigenous,
speakers said at a round-table held in the capital yesterday.<br /><br />
With International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
ahead, they said although the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord was
signed by the government 17 years ago, indigenous people, particularly
the women, still live under the threat of various criminal acts
frequently taking place in the region, while the culture of impunity and
settlement of Bengalis have left them extremely vulnerable. <br /><br />
The observation came at a session titled: “Marginalisation and Impunity:
Violence against Women and Girls in the Chittagong Hill Tracts,”
organised by CHT Commission (CHTC) at the Ramesh Chandra Hall of
Chhayanaut Bhaban.<br /><br /> Speakers claimed that the culture of
impunity is so prevalent in the CHT areas that victims, despite
suffering constant harassment, have lost interest in filing cases at the
police station. According to Kapaeeng Foundation, an organisation
working for protection of the rights of indigenous people, 19 cases of
sexual violence were reported from January to April this year. Of them,
two were killed after rape, nine were raped, seven fell victim of
attempt to rape and one was abducted.<br /><br /> A total of 227 cases for
violence against women in both the hilly areas and plain lands under CHT
were filed in between 2007 and 2013. The forms included rape, gang
rape, murder after rape, physical assault, attempt to rape, abduction,
sexual harassment and human trafficking. Five rape incidents occurred in
2007 and the number rose three times higher last year. Many of these
cases are not followed up, said the speakers.<br /><br /> Bangladesh
Indigenous Women’s Network General Secretary Chanchana Chakma read out
the keynote paper prepared by Dr Bina D’Costa, a peace and conflict
specialist from the Australian National University.<br /><br /> The report
emphasised that militarisation and transmigration (illegal settlement of
Bengalis in the CHT) that started from 1976, generated extreme
vulnerability and poverty in the region, grossly affecting the safety of
women in CHT. Kalpana Chakma, former organising secretary of Hill
Women’s Federation, who was allegedly abducted from her house by a
military official and two members of the village defence party in 1996,
is still missing.<br /><br /> “Still we do not see any development or any
exemplary punishment to the culprits of similar cases,” said KS Mong, a
member of CHT regional council. He also claimed that the present
government, who signed the Peace Accord, has now lost the courage to
implement it.<br /><br /> The paper suggested that the process to bring
peace and stability in the CHT must begin with the demilitarisation of
the region as stipulated in the 1997 CHT Peace Accord. The paper
recommended the recruitment of an ombudsman to the National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC) to which NHRC Chairman Dr Mizanur Rahman replied: “I
disagree with the recommendation. Until I have the power to investigate,
recruiting 10 ombudsmen would bring no benefits. First the government
should grant more power to NHRC.”<br /><br /> CHTC Co-chairperson Sultana
Kamal, member Khush Kabir and Sara Hossain, Adviser Meghna Guhathakurta,
Bangladesh Mahila Parishad president Ayesha Khanam were present at the
programme. <br /><br /> <a href="http://www.dhakatribune.com/law-rights/2014/nov/24/%E2%80%98double-discrimination%E2%80%99-against-indigenous-women" target="_blank">http://www.dhakatribune.com/<wbr></wbr>law-rights/2014/nov/24/%E2%80%<wbr></wbr>98double-discrimination%E2%80%<wbr></wbr>99-against-indigenous-women</a><br /> ..............................<wbr></wbr>.......................<br /> <em>The Daily Observer, 24 November 2014</em><br /><span style="font-size: 28px;"><br /> </span><strong><span style="font-size: 28px;"><a href="http://www.observerbd.com/2014/11/24/56593.php" target="_blank">Rights activists for faster implementation of CHT accord</a></span></strong><br /> <em>Special Correspondent</em><br /><br /> Publish Date : 2014-11-24, Publish Time : <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_323009459"><span class="aQJ">00:00</span></span>, View Count : 3<br /><br />
Rights activists have urged the policy makers to implement the
Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) accord completely before it is too late.
The culture of impunity discourage the indigenous people from raising
their voice against the authorities, they observed.<br /><br /> They came
up with the observation at a seminar on "violence against women and
girls in the CHT" organised by CHT Commission (CHTC) at the Chayanat
Bhaban in the capital on Sunday.<br /> The seminar blamed that the
militarisation and transmigration programmes have continued to settle
illegally the landless Bangalees from the plain-lands in CHT that was
initiated in 1976 by General Ziaur Rahman.<br /><br /> The settlement has
created extreme vulnerability of and poverty to the adivasis and deeply
affected adivasi girls' safety and security in the region. Rights
activists who recently visited CHT were attacked in Rangamati,
Khagrachari and Bandarban under the very nose of the district
administration and law enforcement agencies by the Bangalee settlers.<br /><br />
Not to anybody's surprise, the police were reluctant to register any
complain of attacks on the rights groups, while the nonchalant
authorities in Dhaka expressed their surprise over the civil
administrations attitude in CHT hesitant to help the victims, the
speakers told the seminar.<br /><br /> Dr Mizanur Rahman, chairman of
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said the commission have probed
the incidents of attacks on the rights activists and have sent strong
notes to relevant authorities with an advice to take legal action
against perpetrators. Unfortunately the authorities have yet to respond
to NHRC to this regards, lamented Dr Mizan. "Well I am still expecting a
pro-active response from the authority on the attacks on the activists.
NHRC have also failed to get any response regarding previous probe
reports on murders, arsons and sexual violence's against the indigenous
people by perpetrators," he said.<br /><br /> The seminar was presided by
Advocate Sultana Kamal, co-chairperson of CHTC, while Ayesha Khanam of
Mahila Parishad, Dr Mizanur Rahman, KS Mong, member of Bandarman CHT
Regional Council, Khushi Kabir, Nijera Kori, Barrister Sara Hossain,
BLAST and Chanchana Chamna, BIWN participated in the discussion, while
Dr Meghna Guhathakurta moderated the seminar.<br /><br /> Sara Hossain
described how the perpetrators of the attacks on the adivasis have been
able to flex their muscles with blessings of political power and civil
administrations. Even the local police officers face pressure from
political and administrative high-ups not to proceed with the cases
against the Bangalee settlers, she said.<br /><br /> A research paper
"Marginalisation and Impunity: Violence Against Women and Girls in the
CHT" by Bina D'Costa was presented at the seminar. The researcher
recommends for sincere political will to bring peace and stability in
the CHT must begin with the demilitarisation of the region as determined
in 1997 CHT Accord. The research recommends voluntary resettlement of
Bangalees who have illegally occupied lands that belong to the adivasis.<br /><br />
A sustainable gender-sensitive and gender-responsive development
project combating the poverty and inequality of indigenous communities
in the region must be endorsed, it was suggested.<br /> Lastly, all
stakeholders must recognise that the end of impunity is fundamental and
urgent, and that without adequate, effective and impartial enforcement
of relevant laws, violence against adivasi women and girls cannot be
mitigated.<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.observerbd.com/2014/11/24/56593.php" target="_blank">http://www.observerbd.com/<wbr></wbr>2014/11/24/56593.php</a><br /> ..............................<wbr></wbr>..............<br /> <em>Daily Sun, 24 November 2014</em><br /><span style="font-size: 28px;"><br /> </span><strong><span style="font-size: 28px;"><a href="http://www.daily-sun.com/details_Implement-CHT-peace-accord-soon_1046_1_10_1_4.html" target="_blank">Implement CHT peace accord soon</a></span></strong><br /> NHRC chairman urges govt<br /><br />
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman Dr. Mizanur Rahman
on Sunday urged the government to implement the Chittagong Hill Tracts
peace accord as early as possible, else the country will have to suffer,
reports UNB.<br /><br /> “My earnest request to the government, please
implement the CHT peace accord as early as possible. A stitch in time
saves nine…” he said taking part at a roundtable on ‘Marginalization and
Impunity: Violence against Women and Girls in the Chittagong Hill
Tracts’. The roundtable was arranged jointly by Chittagong Hill Tracts
(CHT) Commission and Adivasi Nari Network at Ramesh Chandra Hall of the
Chayanaut Bhaban, Dhanmondi in the capital.<br /><br /> Dr Mizanur Rahman
said the CHT peace accord would have to be implemented for peace and
security of the entire country as well as for the people of the CHT.
Expressing concern, he said: “Unless the accord is implemented
immediately, political gridlock might break out in the hill
tracts.“Chaired by CHT Commission co-chairman Sultana Kamal, the
programme was also addressed by commission members and Khusi Kabir and
barrister Sara Hossain, commission adviser Meghna Guhathakurta,
Bangladesh Mahila Parishad president Ayesha Khanam and CHT regional
council member KS Mong.<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.daily-sun.com/details_Implement-CHT-peace-accord-soon_1046_1_10_1_4.html" target="_blank">http://www.daily-sun.com/<wbr></wbr>details_Implement-CHT-peace-<wbr></wbr>accord-soon_1046_1_10_1_4.html</a><br /> ..............................<wbr></wbr>.........<br /> <em>The Independent, 24 November 2014</em><br /><br /> <strong><a href="http://www.theindependentbd.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=238341:violence-against-women-should-get-extra-attention&catid=135:metropolitan-dhaka&Itemid=174" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 28px;">‘Violence against women should get extra attention’</span></a><span style="font-size: 28px;"> </span></strong><br /> <br /> Author / Source: STAFF REPORTER <br /> <br />The
cases of violence against women in the Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT)
areas should get extra attention to end the culture of impunity,
observed human rights activists at a roundtable discussion in the city.
<br /><br /> Barrister Sara Hossain, executive director of Bangladesh
Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) said, “Initially, different women
rights organisations come forward for the cases of violence against
women, but gradually they back away and the cases sink into oblivion
with the course of time.” She added the close ones of the victims and
even the victims receive threats constantly from the perpetrators of a
crime after a case is filed. <br /><br /> Also, apathy among the law
enforcers is one the major impediments too, he noted. That is why, the
cases related to violence against women in the hill tracts need to be
treated with extra attention, she opined. <br /><br /> While presenting
the keynote paper, Chanchana Chakma, general secretary of BIWN
(Bangladesh Indigenous Women’s Network) recommended strengthening the
existing women right activists’ network, providing technical and
financial support to enhance capacity building of the indigenous
womenfolk, appointing an ombudsperson at National Human Rights
Commission, sensitising the media, medical officials and the mass people
regarding the issues, and training up the indigenous women regarding
the legal process and ensuring their access to justice. <br /><br /> NHRC chairman Mizanur Rahman said, “The Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord should be implemented before it is too late.”<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.theindependentbd.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=238341:violence-against-women-should-get-extra-attention&catid=135:metropolitan-dhaka&Itemid=174" target="_blank">http://www.theindependentbd.<wbr></wbr>com/index.php?option=com_<wbr></wbr>content&view=article&id=<wbr></wbr>238341:violence-against-women-<wbr></wbr>should-get-extra-attention&<wbr></wbr>catid=135:metropolitan-dhaka&<wbr></wbr>Itemid=174</a><div class="yj6qo ajU">
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CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-47371850289100034332014-12-09T07:43:00.002+06:002014-12-09T07:43:35.369+06:00Cancellation of Hill District Council Act bills demanded, the laws would threaten the democratic practices within the hill districts and the country overall<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: 28px;"><strong><a href="http://newagebd.net/69440/cancellation-of-cht-districts-council-bills-demanded/" target="_blank">Cancellation of CHT districts council bills demanded</a> </strong></span><br /><br /> November 23, 2014<br /> <strong>Staff Correspondent </strong><br /><br />
National minority leaders, politicians, academics and right activists
on Saturday demanded cancellation of three bills tabled in parliament
for increasing to 11 from the existing five the number of interim
members of the three hill district councils in Chittagong Hill Tracts.<br /><br />
Addressing a human chain in front of National Museum, they said that
the bills incorporated government ‘ill intention’ of keeping the hill
districts under control of selected people without direct votes of
national minorities in the region.<br /><br /> Khagrachari unit of Parbatya
Bangali Chhatra Parishad, however, at a human chain in Khagrachari
town, demanded inclusion of seven Bengali people and one vice-chairman
in CHT district councils as per ratio of the inhabitants in the proposed
bills.<br /><br /> Th state minister for CHT affairs, Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing, on <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_323009458"><span class="aQJ">July 1</span></span>
tabled the Rangamati Hill District Council (Amendment) Bill 2014, the
Khagrachari Hill District Council (Amendment) Bill 2014 and the
Bandarban Hill District Council (Amendment) Bill 2014.<br /><br /> The
bills proposed that the number of interim members of the hill district
councils would be increased at 11 from the existing five including three
non-tribal members.<br /><br /> The parliamentary standing committee on
the CHT affairs ministry on November 17 recommended passage of the bills
after scrutiny.<br /><br /> Although the laws stipulate that 34 members
including the chairman of each of the hill district councils have to be
elected, the government has so far taken no move for the elections,
rather it is going to control the councils by increasing the number of
selected interim members, the human chain in Dhaka was told.<br /><br />
The speakers said that the CHT affairs ministry did not discuss the
matter with hill people including Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati
Samiti, Parbatya Chattagram Anchalik Parishad and the local lawmakers
before placing the bills in the parliament.<br /><br /> Oikya NAP president
Pankaj Bhattacharya said, ‘Elected members are needed for the proper
functioning of the hill district councils…Mere increasing the number of
interim members would neither ensure the accountability of the councils
nor the councils would represent the hill people.’ He said the bills
were a clear violation of the CHT Peace Accord.<br /><br /> ‘The undemocratic forces would take a strong footing in the hills if the bills are passed,’ he said.<br /><br />
Parbatya Chattagram Anchalik Parishad member KS Mong said that the
government was acting in a hostile attitude to hill people. ‘Government
is forcing us to choose the way of blood-stained fighting,’ he said.<br /><br />
International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission member Khushi Kabir
said that the government wanted to take over the hill districts under
its control through the bills, ignoring the interests of the hill
people.<br /><br /> Bangladesh Adivasi Forum general secretary Sanjeev
Drang said that the government was deceiving the hill people time and
again but it was not implementing the CHT accord.<br /><br /> Journalist Abu Sayeed Khan, academics Mejbah Kamal, Rubaiyat Ferdous and Razib Mir, among others, also spoke.<br /><br /> <a href="http://newagebd.net/69440/cancellation-of-cht-districts-council-bills-demanded/#sthash.h7F2jsLE.dpb" target="_blank">http://newagebd.net/69440/<wbr></wbr>cancellation-of-cht-districts-<wbr></wbr>council-bills-demanded/#<wbr></wbr>sthash.h7F2jsLE.dpb</a><br /> ..............................<br />
<div class="a3s" id=":wk">
<wbr></wbr>.............................<br /> <em>Dhaka Tribune, 23 November 2014</em><br /><br /> <strong><a href="http://www.dhakatribune.com/law-rights/2014/nov/23/amendments-cht-district-council-laws-opposed" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 28px;">Amendments to CHT district council laws opposed </span></a></strong><br /><br /> <strong><a href="http://www.dhakatribune.com/author/tribune-report" target="_blank">Tribune Report</a> </strong><br /><br /> <strong>The laws would threaten the democratic practices within the hill districts and the country overall</strong><br /><br />
Different organisations yesterday raised their voices against the
three amendment bills produced in the parliament recently in connection
to the district council governance of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).<br /><br />
Under the banner of “Nagorik Samaj,” they formed a human chain in
front of the National Museum in the capital demanding the immediate
cancellation of the three proposed laws – Rangamati Parbatya Zilla
Parishad (amendment) Bill, Khagrachhari Parbatya Zilla Parishad
(amendment) Bill and Bandarban Parbatya Zilla Parishad (amendment) Bill.<br /><br />
They claimed that the proposed laws were a clear violation to the
peace accord that was signed by Awami League and Parbatya Chattagram
Jana Sanghati Samiti in 1997.<br /><br /> Oikko NAP President Pankaj
Bhattacharya said: “The government is violating the CHT Peace Treaty by
proposing the three district council acts according to their whims.<br /><br />
It was clearly stated in the peace accord that the government must
consult with the Ancholik Parishad [interim council] before amending any
law in relation to them.”<br /><br /> The laws would threaten the democratic practices within the hill districts and the country overall, the speakers said.<br /><br /> They also demanded an immediate election to ensure local representatives in the CHT district council.<br /><br /> The original laws passed in 1989 had provisions for electing members of the district councils by direct popular votes.<br /><br /> Since then, only one election took place in 1989.<br /><br />
CHT commission member Khushi Kabir, Dhaka University History Prof
Mesbah Kamal, Adivasi Forum General Secretary Sanjib Drong took part in
the human chain.<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.dhakatribune.com/law-rights/2014/nov/23/amendments-cht-district-council-laws-opposed" target="_blank">http://www.dhakatribune.com/<wbr></wbr>law-rights/2014/nov/23/<wbr></wbr>amendments-cht-district-<wbr></wbr>council-laws-opposed</a><br /> ..............................<wbr></wbr>....................<br /> <em>Newsnextbd, Saturday, 22 November 2014</em><br /><br /> <strong><a href="http://newsnextbd.com/withdraw-cht-zila-parishads-bill/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 28px;">‘Withdraw CHT Zila Parishads Bill’ </span></a></strong><br /><br /> Saturday, 22 November 2014 23:40 <br /><br />
Dhaka: Speakers at a human chain on Saturday alleged that the
government has violated the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord through
bringing three separate bills for three Zila Parishads of the region in
Parliament.<br /><br /> RAM Muktadir Chwodhury, chairman of the
Parliamentary Standing Committee on CHT Affairs Ministry, on November 17
placed all the three reports on Rangamati Hill Tracts Zila Parisad
(Amendment) Bill 2014; Bandarban Hill Tracts Zila Parisad (Amendment)
Bill 2014; and, Khagrachhari Hill Tracts Zila Parisad (Amendment) Bill
2014.<br /><br /> Addressing a civic group organized human chain in front
of National Museum in the city in protest of the government move,
speakers also urged the government to withdraw the bill and give
election for electing representatives of the three Zila Parishads.<br /><br />
It was among others addressed by United National Awami Party (UNAP)
president Pankaj Bhattacharya, rights activist Khusi Kabir, Prof Mesbah
Kamal and Sanjeeb Drong, journalist Abu Sayeed Khan and Dhaka University
teacher Robayet Ferdous.<br /><br /> Pankaj said that as per the Peace Accord government is bound to consult with Regional Council for making any law relating CHT.<br /><br />
“But, government has brought the bill in parliament without doing so.
This is an anti-people move and government is doing this to rehabilitate
their party men in the region,” he added.<br /><br /> He observed that the
government move may obstruct the process of implementation of the Peace
Accord and urged the government to withdraw the bill.<br /><br /> Abu
Sayeed Khan demanded democratic elections for electing Zila Parishad
representatives in lieu of partisan appointment to the body.<br /><br /> Khusi Kabir alleged that government brought the bill to violate the rights of indigenous people of CHT.<br /><br /> <a href="http://newsnextbd.com/withdraw-cht-zila-parishads-bill/" target="_blank">http://newsnextbd.com/<wbr></wbr>withdraw-cht-zila-parishads-<wbr></wbr>bill/</a><br /> ..............................<wbr></wbr>............................<br /> Please visit following for Bangla news:<br /> <a href="http://www.ittefaq.com.bd/capital/2014/11/22/6902.html" target="_blank">http://www.ittefaq.com.bd/<wbr></wbr>capital/2014/11/22/6902.html</a><br /> <a href="http://sangbad.com.bd/index.php?ref=MjBfMTFfMjNfMTRfMV8xM18xXzE3MDI5NA%3D%3D" target="_blank">http://sangbad.com.bd/index.<wbr></wbr>php?ref=<wbr></wbr>MjBfMTFfMjNfMTRfMV8xM18xXzE3MD<wbr></wbr>I5NA%3D%3D</a><br /> <a href="http://www.kalerkantho.com/print-edition/news/2014/11/23/154316" target="_blank">http://www.kalerkantho.com/<wbr></wbr>print-edition/news/2014/11/23/<wbr></wbr>154316</a><br /> <a href="http://www.banglanews24.com/beta/fullnews/bn/342862.html" target="_blank">http://www.banglanews24.com/<wbr></wbr>beta/fullnews/bn/342862.html</a></div>
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CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-57754674542006922052014-12-09T07:37:00.001+06:002014-12-09T07:37:18.928+06:0013 indigenous women and girls subjected to violence in two months in Bangladesh<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In is very alarming that in two months from 11 September to 6 November
2014, at least 13 indigenous women and girls (eleven from Chittagong
Hill Tracts and two from plain lands) have been subjected to violence
including rape, attempt to rape, physical assault and abduction. Two
indigenous girls (one is 13 year and another is 4 year old) have been
raped by Bengali settlers in Chittagong Hill Tracts. Besides, three
indigenous women and girls were physically assaulted, five have been
attempted to rape, two young women rescued from captivity and one
indigenous woman is attempted to kidnap. Among the victims, the age of
five victims is above 18 years and eight victims is below 18.<br /><br />
One of the main causes behind the alarming situation of violence against
indigenous women and girl is culture of impunity that enjoy the
culprits. For example, 18 persons who have been accused to attack on
Bichitra Tirku, an elected UP member and prominent indigenous woman
activist, got bail without any punishment in Chapainawabganj district on
24 September 2014. On 4 August 2014, while Bichitra was working in her
rice field along with her fellow workers, a group of miscreants led by
Afzal Hossain, made an attack on her using sticks and sharp weapons in
connection with grabbing the land which she inherited from her husband. A
group of Members of Parliament visited the spot and victim and even
they raised the issue in the parliament. Home Minister also assured the
parliament and countrymen to take stern action against the culprits.
Several protests have been organised and memorandum to the government
authorities have been submitted by civic rights groups at national and
local level. Media made huge coverage on this incidents. However, the 18
accused culprits who were arrested or surrendered to the Court have
been granted bail.<br /><br /> <strong><span style="font-size: 14px;">An indigenous Garo women physically assaulted by owner of beauty parlor in Rajshahi</span></strong><br /> <br />On
11 September 2014, in Rajshahi the owner of Senorita Beauty Salon
Mohsin Shikdar physically assaulted Lisa Rongdi (a worker in the Beauty
Salon). Lisa belongs to Garo indigenous community. When informed, Lisa’s
husband Prokash Chimon went to the spot and rescued her. Then then
admitted her to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. The next day, Lisa
filed a case against Mohsin Shikdar at Rajpara Police Station.<br /> <br />Prokash
Chimon informed that, at present Mohsin and his sister are not in a
good relationship. Therefore, when Lisa went to Mohsin’s sister’s house,
he was angry about it and then physically assaulted Lisa.<br /> <br />Lisa
complained that, on that day Mohsin pulled her hair and threw her on
the floor, it caused her wound on her head and forehead and her nose was
bleeding. Mohsin then kicked her in the stomach as well as beaten her
with a stick. She eventually loses her senses. <br /> <br />In the
hospital, there is allegation that Mohsin’s wife Soma Shikdar influenced
the authority not to provide treatment to the victim. That’s why Lisa
went out from hospital without having proper treatment. Now Mohsin has
been forcing Lisa in different ways for withdrawing the case filed
against him.<br /> <br />In protest of this incident, on 16 September 2014,
Narinirjaton Protirodh Committee (Women Repression Prevention
Committee) organized a human chain and gathering at Shaheb Bazar Zero
point in Rajshahi. <br /><br /> Speakers at the Human chain demanded that
the perpetrators should be punished and justice need to be ensured
immediately. They also urged the administration that the perpetrators
should not get away with the crime with any political influence. They
demanded for proper punishments of the perpetrators (Mohsin Shikdar and
Soma Shikdar). <br /><br /> Abeda Raihan the President of Bangladesh Mahila
Parishad of Rajshahi district presided over the gathering. Kalpana Roy,
General Secretary of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad of Rajshahi district
and Shahin Akhtar of the Social Welfare Committee spoke in the
gathering.<br /> <strong><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;">A minor Chakma girl attempted to rape in Naniarchar</span></strong><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><br /> On 2 October 2014 around at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_323009437"><span class="aQJ">4:00 pm</span></span>
a minor Chakma girl (14) from Nanakrum village was attempted to rape by
a settler named Kabir Hossain (45), son of Abdur Rashid of Bogachari
area of Burighat Union in Naniarchor Upazila under Rangamati district.
It was reported that on the same day a case was filed accusing Kabir
Hossain with Naniarchar police station at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_323009438"><span class="aQJ">10:30 pm</span></span>
under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. Police arrested
the accused on the following day with the help local Bengalis from his
house.<br /><br /> On that day, during the incident the victim was staying
alone in her house. Knowing this, Kabir Hossain entered into house and
forcefully taken the victim out from house and tried to take her to
nearby jungle. The adolescent shouted and peoples from nearby houses
came to rescue her. The accused run away from the scene immediately. It
was reported that the perpetrator also attempted to rape her daughter in
law before.<br /><br /> <strong><span style="font-size: 14px;">A minor Tripura girl raped by a Bengali settler in Khagrachari, alleged rapist handed over to the police</span></strong><br /><br />
On 2 October, 2014 at 10:00 am a 13-year-old Tripura indigenous child
have been raped by a Bengali settler in Ranyabari village under
Bhaibonchara union of Khagrachari sadar upazila in Khagrachari district.
<br /><br /> It is learnt that like any other day victim’s father went to
forest early morning for collecting woods. Later, her mother went to the
Bhaibonchara bazar to attend Durgapuja celebration at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_323009439"><span class="aQJ">8:00 am</span></span>. Meanwhile, at around <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_323009440"><span class="aQJ">10:00 am</span></span>,
Md. Zia Rahman (32), son of Md. Abdul Malek of Bhaibonchara village
entered their house for a glass of water. At the time, after knowing no
one is at home except the girl, Md. Zia held down her neck, did hit in
her right hand, in head and also in face then escaped after forcibly
raped. Then, when her mother returned home from Durgapuja celebration,
found her daughter in endanger condition and got to know about the rape
incident. <br /><br /> Later with the help of the girl, Mohammad Zia
Rahman, a hired motor bike driver, was identified when returning on the
road again (the house beside the road) and arrested him wants to know
about the rape. Md Zia Rahman confessed his misdeed with the presence of
the passenger on his motorcycle Hapreng Tripura, son of Suniti Kumar
Tripura and offered to pay medical expenses.<br /><br /> At that time,
victim’s mother rejected that offer and handed over accused rapist Md.
Zia to the police. In this connection, Smritypurna Tripura, father of
the victim filed a case with the Khagrachari sadar model police station
under Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. The case no. is– 02,
dated 02/10/2014. Later, the victim was admitted to the Khagrachari
Sadar Hospital for treatment and medical test.<br /><br /> <strong><span style="font-size: 14px;">Manipuri girl student stabbed at the classroom in Sylhet </span></strong><br /> <br />On
11 October 2014 in the afternoon stalkers attacked Nandita Debi, a
class X student of Syed Hatim Ali High School in Sylhet city. She
belongs to indigenous Monipuri communty and is the daughter of Gunendra
Sinha of Senpara at Shibganj in the city. <br /><br /> Students of the
school alleged that Sakib, a local gangster, along with his two cohorts,
stormed into the examination hall at about <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_323009441"><span class="aQJ">1:30 pm</span></span>
and attacked Nandita when the test was about to start. They physically
assaulted her and stabbed in her forehead before leaving the spot. She
was admitted to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital with stab
injuries.<br /><br /> Quoting the victim, Manosh Singha, brother of victim
said that Sakib and his friends used to harass his sister on her way to
school and back. Sakib and his cohorts attacked my sister as she
protested against the stalking, he said. Manosh alleged that some
influential people of the neighborhood were pressing the family to
refrain from filing a case with the police in this regard.
Officer-in-charge of Shah Paran police station Shakhawat Hossain said
that they had visited the spot and talked with the school authorities
and parents of the girl. Stern action would be taken against the
culprits after we receive a written complaint, he said. <br /><br /> On the
same day at night Manosh Singha filed a case (no. 4) with Shahporan
police station mentioning three persons name including Sakib and his
father and 2/3 unknown persons. Accused persons are (1) Milad Ahmed,
resident of shivganj Sonarpara, (2) Sakib, son of Milad Ahmed, resident
of shivganj Sonarpara and (3) Mamun, address unknown.<br /><br /> <strong><span style="font-size: 14px;">An indigenous woman attempted to abduct by Bengali settlers in Kaukhali</span></strong><br /> <br />On
15 October 2014, an indigenous Marma woman (27), resident of Baradalu
village in Kaukhali upazila under Rangamati district was attempted to
abduct by a Bengali Settler.<br /> It is known that, on 15 October at around <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_323009442"><span class="aQJ">11:00 pm</span></span>,
a single child mother went out of her house. Her Family member and
neighbor started to find her out due to not returning house for long
time.<br /><br />After searching for hours around <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_323009443"><span class="aQJ">2:30 am</span></span>
she was found in front of the mini-market near the Kaukhali BRAC
office. Later police rescued her and handed over to upazila female vice
chairman Anee Chakma. She was admitted to Kaukhali health complex. No
case has been filed in connection with the incident so far.<br /><br /> <strong><span style="font-size: 14px;">Two school girls attempted to rape by three Bengali settlers in Longadu</span></strong><br /> <br />On 15 October 2014, at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_323009444"><span class="aQJ">noon</span></span>
two Jumma girl student have been attempted to rape by three young
Bengali settlers in Bagachator union under Longadu upazila of Rangamati
Hill District. Three accused miscreants were arrested with the help of
the locals, but they have not handed over to the police. The case was
socially dismissed when some local elders mediated by awarding light
punishment to the perpetrators. <br /><br /> It is learnt that the victim
girls are SCC examinee of local Ugalchari Mahajonpara High School. They
both are around 15 year old and from Chiberega village under Bagachator
union. On that day, they were returning together from school after the
examination. On their way home at around <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_323009445"><span class="aQJ">1:30 pm</span></span>,
when they arrived in a lonely place suddenly three settler youths
blockaded their way and wanted to take them to nearby jungle forcefully.
At that stage the girls exclaimed loudly and a Jumma youth who was also
returning home behind the girls rushed the spot and the culprits fled
away.<br /><br /> Three stalkers were identified as (i) Farhad (19) son of
Sirajul Islam, (ii) Mohammad Yusuf (20) son of Mohammad Hanif Farid and
(iii) Habib (20) son of Md. Sundar Ali of Marisyachara, Bagachatar
Union. <br /><br /> Guardians of the victims immediately informed about the
incident to the local chairman Abdul Gaffar Bhuiyan and sought for
justice. <br /><br />Chairman of Ugalachari Union Council and headmaster of
Ugalchari High Cchool Abdur Rahim with the help of the local Bengalis
arrested 3 youths. Later in the afternoon, at approximately <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_323009446"><span class="aQJ">5:00 pm</span></span>
in the presence of chairman, headmaster, guardians and other local
elders an arbitration was held. In the arbitration, the accused
engagement was proved and they have given physical punishment. Further,
bond has also taken from the culprits.<br /><br /> <strong><span style="font-size: 14px;">A four year old Chakma girl raped by a Bengali settler in Panchari</span></strong><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><br />
On 16 October 2014 in the evening a four year old Chakma girl was
raped by a settler Bengali named Md. Lalan Mia (35) at Kanungo village
under Panchari upazila (sub-district) in Khagrachari district. <br /><br /> It is learnt that, in the evening of that day around <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_323009447"><span class="aQJ">4:00 pm</span></span>,
mother of the victim girl and one more woman went to the nearest
watercourse/stream to take bath with their two children. After taking
bath, they both returned home and left their children in the stream. In
that scope Md. Lalan Mia, son of Farid Mia of Islampur village forcibly
attempted to rape that child. Hearing girls screaming a neighbor rushed
to the spot and Lalan Mian escaped from the scene. After then, that
child was rescued in sanguinary situation and got admitted to the
Panchari upazila hospital.<br /><br /> <strong><span style="font-size: 14px;">Two Tripura women attempted to rape by BGB personnel in Sajek</span></strong><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /> </span><br />On
3 November 2014, two Tripura women attempted to rape by two soldiers of
Siyaladai camp of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) under Sajek Union of
Baghaichari Upazila in Rangamati district when they were going for
shower to nearby stream. However, hearing the screaming of victims,
villagers came forward to them but BGB soldiers fled to the camp.<br /><br /> It is known that, on that day at around <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_323009448"><span class="aQJ">12.30 pm</span></span>
five Tripura women of Siyaladai village went for taking bath to nearby
hilly stream. After taking bath when two women (one is 23 year and
another is 25 year old) among the five were returning home, two soldiers
of Siyaladai BGB camp came forward and grasped them. The soldiers
touched their sensitive part of the body and attempted to rape. When
women started exclaiming loudly at the time of the incident, residents
of the villages rushed there. Seeing the presence of the villagers, BGB
personnel fled inside into the camp. Immediately villagers objected to
the commander Subedar Nasir. However, Subedar Nisar did not take any
step and term it as ‘minor issue’. One of the accused was identified as
Rafiul, the other is unknown.<br /><br /> <strong><span style="font-size: 14px;">Two Tripura girls rescued from a captivity in Dhaka with the help of ASK and Police</span></strong><br /> <br />On
5 November 2014 police rescued two Tripura girls from a house in Dhaka.
According to the girls’ parents, their daughter Nindobala Tripura (17)
and Anjali Tripura (16) were brought to Dhaka by Surojit Barua for
providing employment. However, they were made house maids of Mr.
Surojit. For their work last one and half years they were not paid any
salary rather they were physically tortured by the family members of
Surojit. Even the house owner did not allow them to keep contact with
their parents. With all these allegations police arrested Mr. Surojit
Barua during the rescue operations from his Dhanmondi residence in
Dhaka. <br /><br /> It was reported that the two girls were brought to
Dhaka in August 2013. Victim Nindobala’s sister-in-low Nayan Tripura was
known to Mr. Surojit. Using this connection Mr. Barua asked Nayan to
bring two girls who are looking for job. Getting this offer Nayan
brought these two girls. They both are permanent residence of
Dittokarbari Para of Patachara Union in Ramgarh Upazila under
Khagrachari district. <br /><br /> After coming to Dhaka, first two months
Nindabala contacted with her sister Nindolakkhi but afterwards they have
stopped all kinds of communication. Their parents tried in all kinds of
ways to contact them but failed. When asked about the girls, Nayan
Tripura informed that the girls are fine and in a few days they will be
home soon. In this way time has passed but they were unable to contact
the girls. In the meanwhile, on the 23 October 2014, Nindabala Tripura
made a phone to Bipin Tripura, a local resident of Patachari. In the
phone call, she mentioned that Surojit Barua withheld herself and Anjali
Tripura on the above address and if they are not rescued soon they will
be trafficked.<br /><br /> Knowing the above information, their parents
tried contacting with Anjali and Nindabala but it did not work. Later,
with the help of members of the Tripura Kallyan Songsod they have
contacted with human rights organization Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) for
rescuing Nindabala and Anjali. One and half year of this cruelty ended
when police raided on 5 November 2014. After being informed about the
physical torture, the police rescued the girls and householder Suronjit
Barua was arrested but his wife Sumita Barua (55) fled away. <br /><br />
Officer-in-Charge of Dhanmondi police station Abu Bakar said that, the
two indigenous girls were withheld and they were physically and mentally
tortured. They were not even allowed to contact their families at home.
Victim Anjali Tripura’s father Mr. Purna Kumar Tripura has filed a case
under Women and Children Repression Prevention Act against the
householder. The case no. is 05, dated 05/11/2014, section 344/323/506
of Penal Code.<br /><br /> <strong><span style="font-size: 14px;">A Jumma women physically assaulted by a settler in Mahalchari</span></strong><br /> <br />On
6 November 2014 police has arrested a person named Ibrahim Khalil (25)
from Mahalchari Upazila in Khagrachari hill district on the ground of
harassing a Tripura women. <br /><br /> It was reported that on 6 November
2014 in the morning the victim women went to Rash festival at Mahalchari
from her village Ponkhimura. In the festival ground she was physically
assaulted by Ibrahim Khalil, son of Ishak Ali of Khiyangghat cluster
village. Immediately the culprit was caught by the crowd and handed over
to the police. On the following day, police filed a case against
accused Ibrahim Khalil in this connection with Mahalchari police
station.<br />
<br />
-------------------------<br />
source:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #888888;"><br /></span>
<div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 13px; margin-top: 13px;">
<span style="color: #888888;"> <strong style="font-family: "comic sans ms",cursive;">Kapaeeng Foundation</strong></span></div>
<span style="color: #888888;"> <div style="margin-bottom: 13px; margin-top: 13px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">(A Human Rights Organization for Indigenous Peoples of Bangladesh)</span></div>
</span></div>
<br /></div>
CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-85647462777170010662014-12-09T07:31:00.001+06:002014-12-09T07:31:08.455+06:00Badiul Alam gang files writ petition against cancellation of land leases to the High Court and continues to land grabbing and eviction of Jumma villagers in Alikadam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Recently on 13 March 2014, on behalf of none leaseholders, Mohammad
Badiul Alam gang filed a writ petition to the High Court seeking
direction upon the government authorities to reinstate the land leases
which were cancelled due to fail fulfil the terms and conditions of the
lease agreement.<br /><br /> It is mentionable that in early January 1996,
on behalf of the Government of Bangladesh, the then Deputy Commissioner
of Bandarban district Md. Mohi Uddin leased out in total 200 acres of
land in Bandarban Hill District to a number of outsiders most of whom
were renowned industrialists in the country on certain terms and
conditions. The allotment of the leases was given for rubber plantation
and afforestation including the plantation of various fruit bearing
trees and wood trees for the period of 40 years. <br /><br /> Although
somehow Government has taken steps against the lessees and cancelled
some of leases on grounds of violation of the terms and conditions,
three of them holding the lease case no. 209(D)/R/95-96, lease case no.
216(D)/R/95-96 and lease case no. 215(D)/R/5-96, have been discharged
from the allegation recently. On 14 September 2009, the Deputy
Commissioner of Bandarban, on behalf of the government, issued notices
upon the lessees cancelling the lease agreement stating that the lessees
have violated the terms and conditions of the lease agreement, as such,
said lease agreement is liable to be cancelled. <br /><br /> Following the
cancellations of these leases, on 13 March 2014, on behalf of following
nine leaseholders, Mohammad Badiul Alam son of Alhaj M. A Rashid, his
wife Mrs. Suraiya Alam and his son Md. Shahzadul Alam, all of House 2,
Road 2, Block-B, Section-10, Mirpur, Dhaka filed the writ petition
(petition no. 1482/2014) under the Article of 102 of the Constitution of
Bangladesh to the High Court division of the Supreme Court. The nine
leaseholders were:<br /> <br />
<ol>
<li>Zaki Ahad, son of Nur-Al-Ahad, House 5, Block-29/A, Pallabi, Dhaka;</li>
<li>Zia Ahad, son of Nur-Al-Ahad, House 5, Block-29/A, Pallabi, Dhaka;</li>
<li>Fahima Ahad, wife of Zaki Ahad, House 5, Block-29/A, Pallabi, Dhaka;</li>
<li>H J Ahad, wife of Nur-Al-Ahad, House 5, Block-29/A, Pallabi, Dhaka;</li>
<li>Murad
Mohammad Taj, son of Hazrat Shah Sufi Taj Islam, of Bishura Darbar
Amantola, Khanka Sharif, Mirsharai, Chittagong;</li>
<li>Popy,
daughter of Sirajuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, of 42/ Ka, Mohamamdpur, PC
Culture and Housing Society, Mohamamadpur, Dhaka;</li>
<li>Hosner Jahan Ahad, wife of Nur-Al-Ahad of House 5, Block-29/A, Pallabi, Dhaka;</li>
<li>Lamiya Ahad, wife of Zaki Ahad of House 5, Block-29/A, Pallabi, Dhaka;</li>
<li>Rayeed, son of Zakia Ahad of 42/Ka, Mohammadpur, PC Culture Housing Society, Mohammadpur, Shyamoli, Dhaka.</li>
</ol>
The writ petition was filed against the seven respondents, such as,
Secretary of Land Ministry, Secretary of CHT Affairs Ministry,
Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong Division, Deputy Commissioner of
Bandarban hill district, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Alikadam upazila
under Bandarban district, Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Alikadam
upazila and Headman of 291 Toinfa Mouza of Alikadam upazila. It is worth
mentioning that Mohammad Badiul Alam gang tactfully did not mention the
name of Bandarban Hill District Council and CHT Regional Council, the
main institution of administration and development in CHT, to avoid
strong opposition from these authorities.<br /><br /> As the respondents
did not oppose strongly against the writ petition, the High Court issued
a stay order of cancellation of leases until and unless the Court
issued final verdict. Following the stay order, the leaseholders are
freely making plantations on the respective lands and threatening the
indigenous Jumma villagers to leave the localities.<br /><br /> On 9 June
2014 K M Tarikul Islam, Deputy Commissioner of Bandarban hill district
sent a para reply to the writ petition to the Solicitor Wing of Writ
Branch of Supreme Court. Deputy Commission mentioned in his reply that
the statements made in paragraph No.6 of the writ petition in respect of
General Power of attorney sworn in by the leasees in favour of
petitioners with a proposal of sub-lease to the petitioners are not
acceptable as not consistent with the terms of lease mentioned in the
lease deed. It is submitted that no where the leasee is authorised as
per concluded prescribed lease deed u/r 34 ( I ) (f) to empower a
specified person to act for and in the name of the lease executing power
of attorney further it is detrimental to the Government Policy to
encourage real and appropriate zealous ambitious entrepreneurs directly
to come forward in taking risk and opportunity working practically in
the rubber plantation or other plantation on commercial basis. Handing
down impliedly to sub-leasee without prior permission of the Deputy
Commissioner is clear violation of term 12(a) and term 18 of the lease
deed for which lease is subjected to cancellation.<br /><br /> In his
reply, Deputy Commissioner also mentioned that petitioners has no right
to get any remedy form this Hon'ble bench. It is submitted that section
19 of the CHT Regulation 1900 is very clear with regard to Jurisdiction
"Except as provided in this regulation or in any other enactment for the
time being in force a decision passed, act done, or order made under
this regulation or rules there under, shall not be called in question in
any civil or criminal Court." That in view of the above provisions of
law the petitioners application is not maintainable.<br /><br /> <strong>Leaseholders hire Badiul Alam gang to grab more lands and look after plantations</strong><br /> <br />The
following seven leaseholders who are leaders of ruling Awami League
engaged Badiul Alam in lieu of handsome amount of money to look after
the plantations of leasing lands and to grab more lands belonging to
indigenous Jumma and permanent Bengali resident. The seven leaseholders
were:<br /> <ol>
<li>Advocate Syed Rezaul Rahman, Advisor of central
committee of Awami League and Prosecutor of International Court on,
lease plot no. 12 of Toinfa mouza of Alikadam upazila;</li>
<li>Professor
Mamtaz Begum, MP and Chairman of Jatiya Mohila Sangstha (National
Women Committee), plot no. 13 of Toinfa mouza of Alikadam upazila;</li>
<li>Syed Rizia Begum, lease plot no. 14 of Toinfa mouza of Alikadam upazila;</li>
<li>Ahmed Kabir, plot no. 15 of Toinfa mouza of Alikadam upazila;</li>
<li>Raihan Ara, plot no. 16 of Toinfa mouza of Alikadam upazila;</li>
<li>Shahjahan Mukul, plot no. 17 of Toinfa mouza of Alikadam upazila;</li>
<li>Brigadier Morsed Alam, plot no. of Toinfa mouza of Alikadam upazila.</li>
</ol>
Badiul Alam and his gang have created a reign of terror at Toinfa
mouza of Alikadam upazila of Bandarban district. Hundreds of acres of
land of indigenous Jummas and some local Bengalis have already been
grabbed by this influential land-grabbing band. Badiul Alam gang has
been grabbing the ancestral lands of indigenous Jummas of this area
adjacent to Alikadam-Thanchi road for last four years. The lands include
land for shifting cultivation of indigenous Jummas.<br /><br /> According
to the local people, Md. Badiul Alam is a resident of Comilla district
headquarters and he lives in Dhaka who is a very influential person. He
had acquaintance with former Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Alikadam
Mohammad Asaduzzaman. When he came to Alikadam from Dhaka by riding
Pajero car he used to live and eat in his home. In several programmes,
he adorns the chair of the chief guest. He has locally formed a cadre
group by hiring some desperate people comprising both Bengali and
indigenous people. His terrorist group regularly threatens local
innocent permanent Bengali and indigenous peoples. The Badiul Alam gang
has also built a few mile long roads for their expediency. In the farm
house of Badiul Alam daily 15-20 people regularly work. According to the
local people, Md. Badiul Alam regularly threatens the local Mro,
Tripura, Marma and Tanchangya indigenous peoples of filing false charges
and of killing. <br /><br /> <strong>Cancellation of Land Leases as per CHT Accord</strong><br /> <br />Huge
tracts of land were given lease to non-indigenous outsiders in 1980s
and 1990s for rubber plantation and other commercial purposes. Around
2000 plots covering 50,000 acres of land have been given lease in three
hill districts. The Accord provides that out of the lands allotted to
non-tribal and non-local persons for rubber and other plantations, the
lease (allocation) in respect of the lands of those who did not
undertake any project during the last ten years or did not properly
utilize the lands shall be cancelled. During the period of previous
government (2009-2013), about 593 plantation plots so far have been
cancelled. But to the utter frustration of the CHT people, the Deputy
Commissioner of Bandarban district has reinstated most of the plots to
the owners.<br /><br /> On the other hand, allotments of land under this
category continue unabated by the district authorities. The Deputy
Commissioner of the Bandarban district continues to give hundreds of
acres of land in lease to the outsider non-tribal Bengali people in
violation of the concerned provisions of the CHT Accord.<br />
<br />
------------------------------<br />
Courtesy:<br />
<span class="HOEnZb adL"><span style="color: #888888;"></span></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 13px; margin-top: 13px;">
<span style="color: #888888;"> <strong style="font-family: "comic sans ms",cursive;">Kapaeeng Foundation</strong></span></div>
<span style="color: #888888;"> <div style="margin-bottom: 13px; margin-top: 13px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">(A Human Rights Organization for Indigenous Peoples of Bangladesh)</span></div>
</span> <br /></div>
CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-64301731376112332392014-12-09T07:27:00.001+06:002014-12-09T07:27:15.244+06:00Civic group concern over the govt’s move to establish a BGB camp in Bandarban by acquiring indigenous people’s farm lands and a crematorium<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 20px;"><strong>Civic
group concern over the govt’s move to establish a BGB camp in Bandarban
by acquiring indigenous people’s farm lands and a crematorium</strong></span></div>
<br />
Civic rights group expressed concern over the government’s move to
establish a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) sector headquarters at
Rawangchari upazila in Bandarban by acquiring indigenous Jumma people’s
farm lands and a crematorium. They demanded immediate cancellation of
establishment of BGB sector Headquarters.<br /><br /> Civic rights group raised the demand in a press conference held on 28<sup>th</sup>
October 2014 at 11:00 am at Reporters Unity in Dhaka. The conference
was held after the on-site inquiry of the grabbing of farm land and
cremation ground by the BGB for the establishment of BGB sector
headquarters in Kraikhyong-Hangsama Para in between Bandarban sadar and
Rowangchari upazila in Bandarban district. <br /><br /> Mr. Dipayan Khisha
an indigenous rights activist facilitated the conference while eminent
columnist and researcher Saiyod Abul Maksud, Trustee of Liberation War
Museum Zia Uddin Tarik Ali, associate professor of Mass Communication
and Journalism Department of Dhaka University Robayet Ferdous, Human
Rights Activist Advocate Nilufar Banu, Film Director Rashed Ryan and
Executive Director of Kapaeeng Foundation Pallab Chakma were present
among others. Rajib Mir, associate professor of Mass Communication and
Journalism Department of Jagannath University read out main script of
the press conference on behalf of the visiting team.<br /><br /> Eminent
Columnist and researcher Mr. Syed Abul Maksud said that this issue
should be raised in the Parliament and the establishment of the BGB
sector Headquarter should be suspended until the issue is dissolved. He
said this is a violation of the rights of indigenous peoples. The state
is not discharging its responsibilities properly. He said that the
government should immediately suspend the project.<br /><br /> Mr. Robayet
Ferdous said that, militarization in CHT is still prevailing and there
are 6 cantonment in 3 hill districts. The State doesn’t consider the
indigenous people as its own people. That’s why indigenous peoples’
ancestral land has been grabbed violating the CHT Accord of 1997 and the
provisions of CHT Regulation of 1900 and without any discussion with
the concerned Circle Chief, Headmen, and Karbaries. There is no freedom
of thoughts under military rule. He opined that by any means, the rights
of the indigenous people and their lands should be protected. <br /><br />
Mr. Rajib Mir stated in his written statement that, they (BGB) have put
up fence in a vast area without any beforehand notification. There is
complains that the disadvantage indigenous people have lost almost
everything they have to the land grabbers. Recently, the land grabbing
for establishing of the BGB sector headquarters in the
Khraikhyong-Hangsha Para of Rowangchari upazila it’s a new addition.
It’s a questionable act when there is no discussion with the local
leaders and the local people. Land grabbing would lead to the fear of
eviction of indigenous villagers as well as demographic destruction of
the region. He said that livelihoods of at least 300 families would be
affected if the farm lands were was acquired for the paramilitary
establishment.<br /><br /> The following recommendations have been proposed
on behalf of the civic group that have visited the spot recently in the
Press Conference:<br /> <ol>
<li>Grabbing of lands for building BGB
sector Headquarter without the recommendation of Bohmang Circle
Chief, Mouza Headman is a clear violation of the rules of the
traditional land management of Chittagong Hill Tracts. </li>
<li>Steps
should be taken for proper discussion of the issue with CHT
Regional Council, Bohmang Chief Circle, Mouza Headman, and the
local dwellers.</li>
<li>There should be a time frame with road map of the full implementation of the CHT Peace Accord of 1997. </li>
</ol>
It is mentionable that the local indigenous Marma villagers submitted a
memorandum to the Prime Minister of the Government of Bangladesh on 29
October 2014 demanding cancellation of land acquisition for BGB camp.
They mentioned in the memorandum that Only 450 acres of land are
currently available for traditional Jum cultivation for 500 landless
families in 11 villages of the mouza. Out of the 7,000 acres of land
under the mouza, 4,550 acres had been acquired by the forest department,
1,000 acres are unarable land and 1,000 acres belong to individual
owners. At least 2,000 acres of arable land are required for the
sustenance of 1,500 families who live in the mouza.<br /><br /> More than a
month ago, the home ministry gave its approval to acquire 34 acres of
land for building the headquarters along the Bandarban-Rowangchhari road
in Bandarban Sadar upazila. Inhabitants of two indigenous Marma
villages claimed that the community land, which provided them with a
livelihood and a cremation ground, fall within the area earmarked for
the headquarters. The area was sealed off with a barbed wire fence by
the BGB a month ago.<br /><br /> Please visit following links for
media reports:<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.thedailystar.net/100-indigenous-families-at-a-loss-47869" target="_blank">http://www.thedailystar.net/<wbr></wbr>100-indigenous-families-at-a-<wbr></wbr>loss-47869</a><br /><br /> <a href="http://newagebd.net/61851/rights-group-concerned-over-land-acquisition-for-bgb-at-rawangchari/#sthash.87rj3hk7.xCAe6ipo.dpbs" target="_blank">http://newagebd.net/61851/<wbr></wbr>rights-group-concerned-over-<wbr></wbr>land-acquisition-for-bgb-at-<wbr></wbr>rawangchari/#sthash.87rj3hk7.<wbr></wbr>xCAe6ipo.dpbs</a><br /><br /> <a href="http://www.thedailysangbad.com/index.php?ref=MjBfMTBfMjlfMTRfMV8xNF8xXzE2ODE1NQ%3D%3D" target="_blank">http://www.thedailysangbad.<wbr></wbr>com/index.php?ref=<wbr></wbr>MjBfMTBfMjlfMTRfMV8xNF8xXzE2OD<wbr></wbr>E1NQ%3D%3D</a><br />
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courtesy:<br />
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<strong style="font-family: "comic sans ms",cursive;">Kapaeeng Foundation</strong></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 13px; margin-top: 13px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">(A Human Rights Organization for Indigenous Peoples of Bangladesh)</span></div>
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CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-64949080415827417182014-12-09T07:12:00.001+06:002014-12-09T07:14:27.664+06:002nd National Indigenous Women Conference held in Dhaka: Indigenous women declare Dhaka Declaration for united movement<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Second National Indigenous Women
Conference was held at CBCB Centre in Dhaka on September 6-7, 2014. The two-day
long national conference was jointly organised by Bangladesh Indigenous Women’s
Network (BIWN) and Kapaeeng Foundation in co-operation with Oxfam and European
Union with the titled ‘Strengthen Unity and Solidarity for Establishing of the
Rights of Indigenous Women’. A total of 120 indigenous women rights activists
and organisers from different parts of the country attended the conference.
Despites representatives of 16 indigenous organisations and 15 indigenous
ethnic groups, a number of indigenous young women and girls working for rights
of indigenous peoples were present in the event.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUDVu8X58EaIngiQZuKPAZ76DDSiHl1vSjRlC69h03GrqC6vjbHLCV3BUJOg_zZ-ljpydJg2ttFNy5-nW-m0SkpzMTfJ3qDpfNxbiJp5O0pAM8jvk9H1dIoa36H5yrINr4uTLnQaTCpNx/s1600/IMG_6653+AN.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUDVu8X58EaIngiQZuKPAZ76DDSiHl1vSjRlC69h03GrqC6vjbHLCV3BUJOg_zZ-ljpydJg2ttFNy5-nW-m0SkpzMTfJ3qDpfNxbiJp5O0pAM8jvk9H1dIoa36H5yrINr4uTLnQaTCpNx/s1600/IMG_6653+AN.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Indigenous women rights activists,
indigenous rights activist, youths, leaders of national level mainstream women
organisations and indigenous experts spoke in the conference and shared their
experiences regarding the causes of the indigenous women in Bangladesh.</span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the opening session, Ayesha Khanom,
president of Bangladesh Mohila Porishod inaugurated the conference lighting the
candles. Among others, Mr. M B Akhter, program manager of Oxfam; Mr. Mangal
Kumar Chakma, advisor of Kapaeeng Foundation; Mr. Sanjeeb Drong, general
secretary of Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum were spoke in the inaugural
session while Ms. Minu Maria Mrong presided over the program.</span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Chief Guest of the opening session
Ms. Ayesha Khanom expressed her solidarity for the movement of indigenous women
and she hoped through this indigenous women network, the struggle of indigenous
women will be strengthened and solidarity between the movements of indigenous
women and mainstream women will also be accelerated. Other speakers urged the
leaders and representatives of indigenous women’s organizations to be united
for the rights of indigenous women. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The two days long conference cum workshop
has been organised with women participants from both plain land and the
Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). A number of issues were discussed in the
workshops, including overall human rights situation of indigenous women,
development of indigenous women leadership, indigenous women rights in the
process of development of human society and future action plan of indigenous
women organisations. Different sessions of the conference were conducted by
Advocate Rakhi Das Purokaistha, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad; Mr. Mangal Kumar
Chakma, advisor of Kapaeeng Foundation; Mr. Shakti Pada Tripura, organising
secretary of BIPF; Mr. Saikat Biswas, program coordinator of Oxfam-GB; and
Pallab Chakma, executive director of Kapaeeng Foundation. On behalf of BIWN
secretariat, a brief report on last two years activities of BIWN was presented
by Falguni Tripura. </span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is learnt that although there were
many limitations in BIWN, it had done many significant works in the last two
years. BIWN organized training and human chain on VAIW issues and submitted
memorandum to State Ministry of home affairs. BIWN also published two books on
violence against indigenous women in Bangladesh. One is jointly published with
CHT Commission and IWGIA titled on <i>`Marginalisation and impunity violence
against women and girls in the Chittagong Hill Tracts’.</i> Moreover, BIWN had
submitted communications to CEDAW committee, CSW and CERD committee. Besides,
representatives of BIWN attended in indigenous women related conferences and
played a vital role both in national and international level. </span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the conference, women representatives
from different indigenous region presented regional situational reports. From
their presentations, it is reported that indigenous women both in the CHT and
plain land are facing serious violation of human rights, sexual violence,
insecurity, harassment, threats and so on in their daily life. Due to
non-implementation of CHT Accord of 1997, lack of women’s participation in
development processes, political arena and decision making process, women are
struggling for their rights. In many cases, they remain out of education and
healthcare services both in the CHT and in the plains. The biggest concern is
rape and other violence against indigenous women. According to the
participants, it is occurring repeatedly due to lack of access to justice and
absolute impunity that perpetrators enjoy.</span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">In group works, the participant
identified some major problem of present situation on indigenous women issues.
Participants from North Bengal described that they are facing land problem as
no land commission established for indigenous peoples in the plains yet. They also
mentioned about discriminations of wage while participants of greater
Mymensingh raised the issues of sexual harassment and false cases in connection
with protest against eco-park establishment by the government in the name of
development. Sylhet region women leaders stated that they are facing continue
eviction from their ancestral land and <i>pan punjees</i> (betel leaf
cultivation). The owners of tea garden and land grabbers play vital role in
this regards. On the other hand, a group from Coastal area mentioned that they
are having problem with land grabbing and natural disaster which are big
problem in coastal region. </span><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">At the end of the Conference, indigenous
women leaders and representatives of indigenous women’s organisations adopted
‘Dhaka Declaration’ for united and greater movement in coming days. The
followings are the some crucial recommendations included in the declaration - </span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ensure human rights of indigenous women.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Take steps to eliminate violence against indigenous
women and girls.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ensure exemplary punishment to the perpetrators of
violence against indigenous women and children.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Provide compensation, treatment and legal help to the
victims of sexual harassment.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ensure participation of indigenous women
representatives in decisions making process</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Implement the CHT Accord and declare a roadmap for its
speedy implementation. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Establish a land commission for indigenous peoples of
plain land.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ensure education and health care services for
indigenous women</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Reserve seat for indigenous women both in parliament
and local government’s bodies.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Finally, a 15 member coordination
committee was formed for smooth functioning of BIWN for the period of 2014
-2016. In the new committee, Ms. Minu Maria Mrong and Chanchana Chakma were
selected as convener and member-secretary respectively.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-no-proof: yes;"><img alt="Description: https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif" height="3" src="file://localhost/Users/user1/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_image002.png" width="3" /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #888888; font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #888888; font-family: "Times New Roman";">courtesy:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #888888; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kapaeeng Foundation</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(A Human Rights Organization for Indigenous
Peoples of Bangladesh)</span><span style="color: #888888; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-90671891614529386302014-12-09T06:59:00.000+06:002014-12-09T06:59:41.155+06:00Press statement from the International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission (CHTC) condemning the attack upon Hana Shams Ahmed<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Press statement from the International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission (CHTC) condemning the attack upon Hana Shams Ahmed, Coordinator of the Commission, and her friend, a woman academic, during
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<a href="https://www.scribd.com/doc/249582445/CHTC-Statement-270814" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View CHTC Statement 270814 on Scribd">CHTC Statement 270814</a></div>
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CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-45590636376923590512014-08-20T17:17:00.001+06:002014-08-20T17:17:29.512+06:00Kapaeeng organises a discussion titling “Second International Decade and Situation of IPs in Bangladesh” in Dhaka marking International Indigenous Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">On 11 August 2014, Kapaeeng Foundation organized a discussion meeting on “Second International Decade and Situation of Indigenous Peoples in Bangladesh” at National Museum auditorium in Dhaka. The meeting was organized to celebrate the occasion of International Indigenous Peoples Day 2014.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Honorable Chairman of Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council and also President of Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum, Mr. Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larmawas present as guest of honor while Mr. Rabindranath Soren, Chaiperson of Kapaeeng Foundation presided the program. Among others, Mr. R A M Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury MP, Honorable Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs; Mr.. Fazle Hossain Badsha, MP; Pir Fazlur Rahman Misbah, MP; Professor Dr. Sadeka Halim, Former Information Commissioner; Mr. Snehal V Soneji, Country Director, Oxfam; Mr. Gonzalo Serano De La Rosa, representative of the European Union; Mr. Mika Kanervavuori, representative of UN; Mr. Sanjeeb Drong, General Secretary, Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum; were present as special guest in the event. Ms. Chandra Tripura, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Adivasi Cultural Forum delivered welcome speech and Mr. Pallab Chakma, Executive Director of Kapaeeng Foundation moderated the discussion meeting. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">In his speech Mr. Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma (Santu Larma) said, State does not fulfill the rights of the indigenous people. Social discrimination is also continuing against them. He allegedly said that the government has not fulfilled promises. The government is very far from the full implementation of CHT Accord. It is delayed by the government. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">He further said, ‘in the 15th amendment of the constitution, the government named us assmall ethnic group. But it is much dishonored for us to introduce such type of recognition’. He also said, ‘today if I call our Prime Minister as the largest ethnic group of Bangladesh, then how she feel?’He urged to the government to re-amend of the constitution and replace the term ‘small ethnic group’ with ‘Adivasi’. Aggrieved at the government's recent request to refrain from using the word "Adivasi", he said the government treated indigenous people as zoo animals and called them by whatever name it liked.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">In his speech R A M Obidul Moktadir Chowdhurysaid, ‘we can use the Adivasi term, though the term is not established by the constitution, however, the constitution does not say anywhere that the term is not usable. So anyone can use the term and we all have to work together for the rights of indigenous peoples.’ He mentioned that the government is determined to implement the ILO Convention No. 107 and hoped as a member State of the United Nations, the government has to sign the other international convention/treaty/ agreement gradually. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Fazle Hossain Badsha MP said, Adivasis also participated and fought in the war of liberation to make an independent country and dreamed their rights would be fulfilled in new country, but they still did not get theirright. State have always been depriving them and continue the fixation behavior to the indigenous people. He mentioned that ‘the diversity of indigenous peoples is our resources. To protect these resources we must have to protect their rights.’ He demanded to immediate implementation of the CHT Peace Accord, establish an effective land commission for hill districts and the establishment of another separate land commission for plain land indigenous peoples. He urged a revision of the constitution, and said, “I will keep trying to press the government to amend the constitution.”</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Professor Dr. Sadeka Halim said, indigenous peoples are politically excluded by the Bengali people, therefore the identity question of Adivasi can be resolved by political movement. She also mentioned the indigenous women are the most vulnerable in the society. She demanded to ensure security of indigenous women and their fair justice. She also added the indigenous people had little achievement in the last two decades. Appreciating the lawmakers who joined the discussion, she said when a legislator addressed them as "Adivasi", it became much more acceptable.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It is to be mentioned that in a PID handout on August 7, the government asked participants of different programs, discussions and talk shows on International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples to refrain from using the word "Adivasi" as there is no Adivasi in Bangladesh as per the constitution.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Sanjeeb Drong Said, rights of indigenous people is human rights. If government does not fulfill the rights of indigenous peoples, we cannot say the human rights situation is develop in Bangladesh. So the government has to protect and promote the rights of IPs. He also said, Land is the life of indigenous peoples. But day by day indigenous peoples are losing their land. To protect the land of IPs, I demand to setup separate land commission for IPs. He also mentioned that, “We all are humans, and despite this we face discriminations and injustice.”</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">In his speech Mr. Mika Kanervavuori said, United Nations has taken a lead role to champion the rights of indigenous peoples, and seeks also to ensure the preservation of their unique societies, cultural practices and diversity. Every year 9th August UN celebrate the day of international indigenous peoples day to promote their rights and we hope one day the diversity will be strength for our development. He mentioned that, the govt. of Bangladesh adopted article 23 A and also 27, 28 and 29 article in constitution is really positive. It is the strong safeguards of protect and promote the rights of indigenous peoples in Bangladesh. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mr Snehal V Soneji said, ‘we are working for plain land indigenous peoples, especially with the women. In our experience we saw there are many gaps between indigenous peoples and the government.’ He mentioned, ‘obviously indigenous peoples are loving this country and they want to be part of nations development.’ </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Pir Fazlur Rahman MP said, Land grabbers are still grabbing lands of indigenous peoples in political protection. He urged to the political leaders not to support the land grabbers.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mangal Kumar Chakma, Advisor of Kapaeeng Foundation presented a keynote on “Second International Decade and Situation of Indigenous Peoples in Bangladesh” at the beginning of the discussion. In the keynote paper, he mentioned that despite a number of fruitful outcomes like adoption of the UNDRIP, successes during second international decade remain limited to policy level. A huge gap still exists between adopted declaration and implementation of it. The 6th Five Year Plan of Bangladesh government and the strategic plan of the National Human Rights Commission emphasised on ratification of ILO Convention 169. The 6th Five Year Plan also mentioned about development and promotion of human rights of indigenous peoples. However, the provisions that concerns about them still remained at policy stage.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mangal K Chakma also mentioned that during 15th amendment of Bangladesh Constitution, a new article (23 KA) naming ‘culture of tribes, minor races, ethnic sects and communities’ was included in the Constitution, which is the first provision in the Constitution that specifically mentions about indigenous peoples in Bangladesh. However, the article only concerns about preservation of their culture and tradition and hence ultimately ignores right to land and self-determination, political participation and participation in decision making process of indigenous peoples. Unfortunately, without ensuring aforementioned rights, it is not possible to preserve culture and tradition of indigenous peoples.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">At the end of the discussion, the members of Bangladesh Adivasi Cultural Forum performed a colorful cultural program.</span><br />
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CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-79627736278782958732014-08-20T17:15:00.000+06:002014-08-20T17:15:51.402+06:00Press Statement from CHT Commission over alleged torture and death of a Chakma activist in military custody<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Following is the press statement from the International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission (CHTC) on alleged torture and death of a 52-year-old Chakma man while in custody of the armed forces in Matiranga Upazila of Khagrachari District in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) on August 10, 2014:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/237299302/CHTC-Statement-150814" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View CHTC Statement 150814 on Scribd">CHTC Statement 150814</a></div>
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CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-42999203678155119942014-08-20T17:10:00.001+06:002014-08-20T17:10:50.530+06:00PCJSS press conference protesting against enactment of anti-CHT accord and anti-people laws and programmes of government in CHT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 20px;">PCJSS press conference protesting against enactment of anti-CHT accord and anti-people laws and programmes of government in CHT</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17px;">PCJSS organised a press conference on present state of implementation of the CHT Accord, amendment of the Hill District Council Act, enactment of the CHT Development Board Act and establishment of the Rangamati Science and Technology University and Medical College on 14 July 2014 at 11:30 am, Monday, at Hotel Sundarban, Dhaka.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17px;">President of PCJSS Mr. Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma delivered speech in this press conference while information and publicity secretary of PCJSS Mangal Kumar Chakma conducted the event. Besides, president of Gono Oikya Pankaj Bhattacharya, eminent columnist Syed Abul Moksud, organising secretary of PCJSS Shakti Pada Tripura, general secretary of Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum Sanjeeb Drong, president of Jatiya Adivasi Parishad Rabindranath Soren et al were present in the press conference.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17px;">President of Girisur Shilpigosthi Ms. Joyati Chakma Inu, assistant secretary of information publicity department of PCJSS Dipayon Khisa and finance secretary of Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum Andrew Solomar, teacher of Dhaka University Robaet Ferdous were also present.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17px;">PCJSS demanded to withdraw the Bill of three Hill District Council (Amendment) Act 2014 that were placed before the Parliament; to repeal the CHT Development Board Act 2014 and to abolish the CHT Development Board; and to postpone the initiative of establishing Science & Technology University and Medical College until and unless proper implementation of the CHT Accord is made.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17px;">Instead of establishing university and medical college, PCJSS demanded to introduce Honors and Masters Courses on more subjects in the government colleges in CHT and to allocate necessary funds for education sector; to preserve more seats in quotas in the various public universities, engineering universities and medical colleges for the Jumma students and provide scholarship for them for higher education and research abroad; to establish para-medical and polytechnic institutes in CHT; and to appoint necessary teachers in the government and non-government primary schools, secondary schools and colleges in CHT and allocate necessary funds for establishment of residential quarters for teachers and hostels for boys and girls.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17px;">PCJSS also urged government to undertake initiative for speedy and proper implementation of all the unimplemented issues of CHT Accord.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17px;">Instead of stepping for an initiative to implement the unimplemented main issues of CHT Accord, the government has taken a U-turn while violating the CHT Regional Council Act and three Hill District Council Act through unilateral initiatives by bringing amendment to the three Hill District Act and enactment of CHT Development Board Act and stepping up measures for establishing Science & Technology University and Medical College in Rangamati. Hence, with this, PCJSS declared that if any undesirable situation springs up as a result of implementation of such anti-accord, undemocratic and anti-people initiatives against the hopes and aspirations of CHT people, the government will unilaterally have to remain liable for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17px;">Following is the press statement of PCJSS:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/237299065/Booklet-on-HDC-Unv-MC-CHTDB-Accord-Eng-Final" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Booklet on HDC Unv MC CHTDB Accord Eng Final on Scribd">Booklet on HDC Unv MC CHTDB Accord Eng Final</a></div>
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CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-9622054820651703162014-08-20T17:06:00.001+06:002014-08-20T17:06:24.343+06:00ATTACK ON CHT COMMISSION’S MOTORCADE: Civic group demand immediate arrest of attackers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<em style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">New Age, July 11, 2014</em><br />
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ATTACK ON CHT COMMISSION’S MOTORCADE</h4>
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<a href="http://newagebd.net/29830/civic-group-demand-immediate-arrest-of-attackers/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Civic group demand immediate arrest of attackers</a></h1>
<strong style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Staff Correspondent </strong><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Civics group leader on Thursday demanded immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of those responsible for the attack on the International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Speaking at a human chain in the front of National Museum in the capital, Gono Oikkya convener Pankaj Bhattacharya said the attack on CHT commission’s representative was not a stray incident. He said a ‘bare-minimum democracy’ does not exist in the CHT area.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Bangladesh Adivasi Forum general secretary Sanjeeb Drong said that if the government feels that the state is for all citizens, the government should come forward to protect the rights of indigenous people.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Worker Party of Bangladesh leader Fazle Hasan Badshah, MP, said radical groups are active in the CHT area as the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord is yet to be implemented.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Earlier, the International CHT Commission blamed the department of forest and law enforcement agencies, especially Border Guard Bangladesh, for land grabbing in the hill districts.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The commission alleged the civil administration and law enforcement agencies in the hill districts were reluctant to ensure security of the commission members when their motorcade came under attack in Rangamati on Saturday.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Commission member Iftekharuzzaman, also the Transparency International Bangladesh executive director, along with two others, was injured in the attack while settlers were demonstrating against the commission’s visit to the hill districts, accusing it of being biased towards hill people.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Columnist Syed Abul Maksud, lawmaker Ushatan Talukdar, Association for Land Reform and Development executive director Shamsul Huda, Filmmaker Rashed Rain and Jagannath University teacher Razib Mir also took part in the human chain.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><a href="http://newagebd.net/29830/civic-group-demand-immediate-arrest-of-attackers/#sthash.HytXeIJ2.dpuf" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank"><br />http://newagebd.net/29830/<wbr></wbr>civic-group-demand-immediate-<wbr></wbr>arrest-of-attackers/#sthash.<wbr></wbr>HytXeIJ2.dpuf</a><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">------------------------------</span><wbr style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></wbr><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">----</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The Daily Star, July 11, 2014</em><em style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></em><strong style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: 24px;">State favouring Bangalee settlers</span></strong><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Rights activists tell protest programme on recent attack on Int'l CHTC team</em><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Staff Correspondent</em><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The state always protects the Bangalee settlers and their different organisations unleashing terror on indigenous people and the visiting human rights delegations in the Chittagong Hill Tracts repeatedly, Rangamati MP Ushatan Talukder and several rights activists said yesterday.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The observations came in response to the government's inaction over bringing to justice the Bangalee settlers who attacked a delegation of International CHT Commission in Rangamati on July 5.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">“The people of the region want to live without a constant fear of attack. We will know that there is democracy in the region when the attackers are punished,” said Talukder, addressing a human chain in front of the National Museum under the banner of Nagorik Shomaj to protest the attack.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Pankaj Bhattacharya, presidium member of Gonoforum, said there was no democracy in the hill tracts as the region was still heavily militarised. “Eminent citizens of the country have often come under attack in the region while the state has remained inactive,” he said.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">General Secretary of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum Sanjeeb Drong said if the government believed that the state belonged to all citizens, including the indigenous people, it must punish the attackers.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Workers Party lawmaker Fazle Hossain Badsha and noted columnist Syed Abul Moksud also spoke at the event.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><a href="http://www.thedailystar.net/city/state-favouring-bangalee-settlers-32853" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">http://www.thedailystar.net/<wbr></wbr>city/state-favouring-bangalee-<wbr></wbr>settlers-32853</a><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">----------------------------</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The Independent, Friday, 11 July 2014 </span><br />
<h1 style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
<a href="http://www.theindependentbd.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=222436:cht-commission-motorcade-attackers-still-at-large&catid=135:metropolitan-dhaka&Itemid=174" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">CHT Commission motorcade attackers still at large</a></h1>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Author / Source: Staff Reporter </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The assailants who attacked the motorcade of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Commission recently are still moving freely, flexing their muscles though they have been identified, alleged speakers at a rally condemning the attack. Criticising inaction of the authorities concerned, Professor Mesbah Kamal of the Department of History of Dhaka University and chairperson of Research and Development Collective, said, “Despite a case being filed and there being clear evidence who made the attack on the commission’s motorcade, nobody has been arrested yet in connection with the incident.” “We have information that Somo Odhikar Andolon was behind this incident,” he added.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">“If the administration and law enforcers could not ensure security for renowned right activist like Sultana Kamal and the executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), how would they ensure safety of the common people?” he questioned.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">He told this correspondent that during the regimes of General Ziaur Rahman and HM Ershad, around four lakh Bengali settlers were sent to the Chittagong Hill Tracts and till date they are propagating to drive away the hill tract community to grab their land and property. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">However, these Bengali settlers are violating the rights of the indigenous people of the hill tracts under the protection of the armed forces of those areas. Fazle Hossain Badsha,MP, president of the Parliamentary Caucus on Indigenous People, said, “Although the attackers have been identified, the local administration has kept completely mum on the issue.”</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Columnist Syed Abul Maksud and Sanjeeb Drong, general secretary of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, also spoke. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The rally was organised by some civil society groups in front of the National Museum in the capital yesterday.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><a href="http://www.theindependentbd.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=222436:cht-commission-motorcade-attackers-still-at-large&catid=135:metropolitan-dhaka&Itemid=174" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">http://www.theindependentbd.<wbr></wbr>com/index.php?option=com_<wbr></wbr>content&view=article&id=<wbr></wbr>222436:cht-commission-<wbr></wbr>motorcade-attackers-still-at-<wbr></wbr>large&catid=135:metropolitan-<wbr></wbr>dhaka&Itemid=174</a><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">----------------------------</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Daily Sun,</em><em style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> July 11, 2014</em><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><strong style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: 24px;">‘Extreme communal forces active in CHT’</span></strong><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Nagorik Samaj forms a human chain at Shahbagh in the capital on Thursday, protesting the recent attack on the members of International CHT Commission. SUN photo </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Extreme communal forces became active in Chittagong Hill Tracts due to non-implementation of the CHT peace accord, speakers at a human chain said on Thursday.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">They said the attack on International CHT commission members at Rangamati on July 5 is tantamount to a blow on the Parliamentary Caucus on Indigenous Affairs.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A civic group arranged the human chain in front of National Museum in the city to protest the attack on CHT commission members by Bangalee settlers.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Addressing the event, United National Awami Party president Pankaj Bhattacharya alleged that Samo Odhikar Andolon, an organisation of Bangalee settlers, is being operated under the shelter of the government. He called upon all to join movements for establishing rights of indigenous people.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Adivasi Forum general secretary Sanjeeb Drong condemned the attack on eminent citizens at Rangamati and urged the government to take steps to arrest the attackers.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Workers Party general secretary Fazle Hossain Badsha MP, Jana Sanghati Samity vice-president Ushaton Talukder MP, and columnist Syed Abul Maksud, ALRD executive director Shamsul Huda, among others, also spoke. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><a href="http://www.daily-sun.com/details_%E2%80%98Extreme-communal-forces-active-in-CHT%E2%80%99_912_1_10_1_13.html#sthash.VgLbftzz.dpuf" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">http://www.daily-sun.com/<wbr></wbr>details_%E2%80%98Extreme-<wbr></wbr>communal-forces-active-in-CHT%<wbr></wbr>E2%80%99_912_1_10_1_13.html#<wbr></wbr>sthash.VgLbftzz.dpuf</a><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Please find Bangla news reports:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Daily Prothom Alo: </span><a href="http://www.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/article/264481/%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%A1%E0%A6%BC%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0_%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%A4_%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0_%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%93%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE%E0%A7%9F_%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0_%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">http://www.prothom-alo.com/<wbr></wbr>bangladesh/article/264481/%E0%<wbr></wbr>A6%9C%E0%A6%A1%E0%A6%BC%E0%A6%<wbr></wbr>BF%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%87%<wbr></wbr>E0%A6%B0_%E0%A6%A6%E0%A7%8D%<wbr></wbr>E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%A4_%<wbr></wbr>E0%A6%86%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%A8%E0%<wbr></wbr>A7%87%E0%A6%B0_%E0%A6%86%E0%<wbr></wbr>A6%93%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE%E0%A7%<wbr></wbr>9F_%E0%A6%86%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%<wbr></wbr>BE%E0%A6%B0_%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%<wbr></wbr>BE%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF</a><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Daily Kaler Kantho: </span><a href="http://www.kalerkantho.com/print-edition/news/2014/07/12/105970#sthash.gZWOgYOA.dpuf" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">http://www.kalerkantho.com/<wbr></wbr>print-edition/news/2014/07/12/<wbr></wbr>105970#sthash.gZWOgYOA.dpuf</a><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><a href="http://www.banglanews24.com/beta/fullnews/bn/306131.html#sthash.wTDWCRcL.dpuf" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">http://www.banglanews24.com/<wbr></wbr>beta/fullnews/bn/306131.html#<wbr></wbr>sthash.wTDWCRcL.dpuf</a><br />
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Courtesy of Kapaeeng</div>
CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-81874233361514933682014-08-20T17:05:00.000+06:002014-08-20T17:05:35.306+06:00Attack on visiting CHT Commission by Bengali settlers in Rangamati, 3 injured & 2 vehicles vandalised<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 24px;"><strong>Attack on visiting CHT Commission by Bengali settlers in Rangamati, 3 injured & 2 vehicles vandalised</strong></span></div>
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">On 5 July 2014 members of the International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission (CHTC) came under brutal attack by Bengali settlers, who have been protesting the visit of the commission members in Rangamati. Three people including a member of CHTC and Officer-in-Charge (OC) of local police station were injured in this attack. Two cases were filed with Kotwali police station by coordinator of CHTC Hana Shams Ahmed on 7 July and by OC on 6 July. However, nobody was arrested so far in this connection.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The CHT Commission is independent and fully committed to an approach of constructive engagement with all stakeholders in Bangladesh. Its mandate is to promote respect for human rights, democracy, and restoration of civil and political rights, participatory development and land rights in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh, including monitoring implementation process of the CHT Accord of 1997. Before, the Commission conducted its mission in the CHT with its national and international members. However, this time they were visiting the CHT with only its national members.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Bengali settlers in the name of six fanatic organizations namely Parbatya Chattagram Somo Odhikar Andolon (CHT Equal Rights Movement), Parbatya Gono Parishad (Hill Tracts People Council), Bangalee Chhatra Parishad (Bengali Students Council), Parbatya Nagorik Parishad (Hill Tracts Citizens Council), Parbatya Bangalee Chhatra Oikya Parishad (Hill Tracts Bengali Students Unity Council), and Parbatya Juba Front (Hill Tracts Youth Front) protested the visit of CHTC, terming it controversial and questioning the impartiality of the commission. They alleged that the Commission is instigating communal conflicts between Bengali and indigenous peoples in the hills. Declaring the CHT Commission unwanted in the region, on 5 July around 10:00 am, the settlers put barricade on the main road leading towards Rangamati town by felling logs when they came to know about the arrival of the commission members in the district.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Six organisations of Bangalee settlers on 4 July called on 36-hour road and waterway blockade in Rangamati protesting the commission’s visit to the hilly region. Later, they withdrew the blockade knowing that the commission returned to Chittagong. It is mentionable that, in their visit in Khagrachari district, the CHT Commission also faced the same situation created by the Bengali settlers. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">In Rangamati, the CHTC team came under attack around </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2145674699" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">1:30 pm</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> in front of the local DGFI office in Omda Miah Hill area while they were leaving Rangamati Parjaton Motel, where they were staying at, for Chittagong with police protection. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Commission member Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, also executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), Monu Sohel Imtiaz, officer-in-charge of Rangamati Kotwali Police Station, and Ilira Dewan, a researcher of CHT Commission, were injured when the protesters threw brick chips on their vehicles. Two vehicles - one of the commission and the other of the local police - came under the attack. The microbus, carrying CHTC members were damaged badly. According to the witnessed, the attack carried out by some 100-150 people led by Mr. Piar Ahmad of Somo Odhikar Andolon, Mr. Jalal Uddin Ahmed of Parbatya Gono Parishad, Md. Imran of Banglaee Chhatra Parishad, Ms. Noor Jahan Begum of Parbatya Nagorik Parshad, Mr. Ujjal Pal of Parbatya Bangalee Chhatra Oikya Parishad and Md. Hannan of Parbatya Juba Front. Police fired three blank shots to disperse the attackers. No one was detained at that time. Immediately after the attack police took the CHTC members to the nearest Kotwali police station for security. Later, one of the injured – Ilira Dewan was admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital for treatment. Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Superintendent of Police (SP) of Rangamati Md. Mostafa Kamal visited the spot learning the incident. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Different national and regional organizations condemned the heinous attack on the CHT Commission. They all condemned the “pre-planned” attack on CHTC members. They also expressed grievances since no one was arrested in connection with the incident. They alleged that this attack was committed by the vested elements who do not want to see implementation of the CHT Accord of 1997 and who want to fishing in muddy water by making CHT situation turmoil. They also said that this attack was not made possible without the blessing of vested interest groups of the government and state machineries.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The Member of the Parliament from Rangamati constituency, Mr. Ushatan Talukdar, in a press statement, condemned the attack and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits involved behind this brutal attack and examplary punishment to them.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><strong style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />Press Conference at Chittagong Press Club</strong><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">At around 3.30 pm </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the CHTC team went to Chittagong with police escort and held a press conference at Chittagong Press Club. In the press conference Co-chair of the CHTC Sultana Kamal and members of the Commission – Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, Khushi Kabir, Barrister Sara Hossain, Dr. Swapan Adnan and other officials of CHTC were present. Speaking in the conference Sultana Kamal, also formal advisor of Caretaker Government, alleged that the people who had been at risk of losing land occupied illegally might be behind the attack. The CHTC blamed six settlers’ organizations of the CHT, which it said had been defying the conditions of the 1997 CHT Accord from the very beginning. The commission also pointed out one of the suspects Noor Jahan Begum, leader of Parbatya Nagorik Parishad, who led the protest in front of the Parjaton Motel in Rangamati.</span><b><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></b><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">--------------</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Courtesy:</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Kapaeeng foundation</span></div>
CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-60424699615715405242014-08-20T17:02:00.002+06:002014-08-20T17:02:37.397+06:00Indigenous peoples’ land grabbing by influential land grabbers intensified<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<strong style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">18 hurt in a clash between BGB and indigenous villagers regarding land disputes in Dighinala</strong><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">On 10 June 2014, at least 18 people including several women were injured in a clash between indigenous peoples and members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) over setting up of a battalion headquarters in Dighinala upazila of Khagrachari district.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It is reported that on that day when BGB personnel tried to plant a flag at the proposed site of the camp at Babuchara under Dighinala upazila, dozens of indigenous women protested, and got into an altercation with the BGB men saying the land belonged to them. The argument led to clashes that left several indigenous people and BGB members wounded. Police later went to the spot, and fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells to bring the situation under control. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Indigenous villagers claimed that BGB has taken an initiative to acquire 31.63 acres of land belonging to the people of three indigenous villages namely Santosh Kumar Karbari Para, Gobinda Karbari Para and Notun Chandra Karbari Para in Dighinala upazila in Khagrachari district in order to establish battalion Headquarters. There is not only land of indigenous families, there is land of a primary school and Buddhist temple. As a result of this initiative, at least 21 indigenous families were evicted and lose their ancestral lands. The primary school where 200 students are studying was already closed down. There is a helipad, an Ansar camp and an army camp on 5.20 acres of land in the identified area. The helipad was established on 2.00 acres of recorded land of one Bajaram Chakma, the army camp was constructed on the 2.20 acres recorded of land of late Lalit Mohan Chakma and the Ansar camp was set up on 1.00 acre of recorded land of Mano Ranjan Chakma. BGB claimed that as per government rules, they acquired the land for the BGB at Babuchhara in 1991. Fearing eviction, local indigenous people filed a writ petition with higher court against the move.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">On 12 June 2014, BGB filed a false case against 100 unknown local indigenous Jumma people due to camp vandalism. In this case, BGB included two dead persons and one lawyer as defendant in order to harass them. On that day local indigenous people brought out a procession against setting up BGB camp in Dighinal upazila. On 13 June 2014, police arrested Pradip Chakma and another unknown Jumma person of Jotno Kumar Karbari Para on their way work. Police also raided their village and closed their village road down.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">courtesy:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Kapaeeng Foundation</span></div>
CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-20971968452973879962014-08-20T17:00:00.001+06:002014-08-20T17:00:37.299+06:00Suspend process of setting-up of university and medical college in Rangamati<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<strong style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Suspend process of setting-up of university and medical college in Rangamati</span></strong><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><em style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Speakers demanded at a discussion meeting of BIPF and CHTCC</em><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">On 28 June 2014, the Chittagong Hill Tracts Citizen’s Committee (CHTCC) and the Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum (BIPF), CHT Chapter organised a discussion meeting at Azimur Rahman Conference Hall, the Daily Star, Dhaka demanding immediate suspension of the process of setting up of Rangamati Medical College (RMC) and Rangamati University of Science and Technology (RUST).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjsj3b_XLo3n2S4nMaY0JWy-EOcf1K1t3x7HQwEKABEKvNVt5hkU0b38REZLJt4p2Ajod-NlA-A-thI28GhneuEZs8KZLnaCaQ6MoKBGyclRmnOCt88KxEjHNq2_IDURxdAqoDZ3odFTUL/s1600/IMG_6767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjsj3b_XLo3n2S4nMaY0JWy-EOcf1K1t3x7HQwEKABEKvNVt5hkU0b38REZLJt4p2Ajod-NlA-A-thI28GhneuEZs8KZLnaCaQ6MoKBGyclRmnOCt88KxEjHNq2_IDURxdAqoDZ3odFTUL/s1600/IMG_6767.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The discussion meeting was presided over by Prakriti Ranjan Chakma, president, BIPF, CHT Chapter while it was moderated by Binota Moy Dhamai, assistant general secretary, BIPF. The keynote of the meeting was presented by Goutam Dewan, president, CHTCC.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Ushatan Taludkar MP; Pankaj Bhattacharya, eminent politician; Syed Abul Maksud, eminent writer and researcher; Rowshan Jahan Moni, Director, ALRD; Abu Sayeed Khan, eminent columnist and journalist and Shakti Pada Tripura, organising secretary, BIPF were present at the discussion meeting as honourable discussants.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">In the meeting, the speakers claimed that indigenous peoples of the CHT have been suffering from development aggression since Ayub Khan regime of Pakistan period when Kaptai dam was built that displaced tens of thousands of Indigenous peoples from their homeland. Many such development initiatives undertaken as of now in the CHT turned into disasters since proper consultations were not done with the locals. The planned educational institutes might also be disastrous. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The speakers mentioned, the CHT Accord of 1997 requires government to consult with the CHT Regional Council prior to any kind of development initiatives in the CHT region. Therefore, the government is legally bound to consult with the CHT Regional Council prior to setting up these educational institutions. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The speakers opined that they are not against higher education, rather they feel the importance of it very deeply. However, they do not want these educational institutions to be established prior to the development of the political, cultural and educational situation of the CHT. The development of the situation requires implementation of the CHT Accord. If the CHT Accord is implemented right now, they want the Medical College and University right now. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The speakers demanded/recommended inter alia: postponement of the process of setting up of Rangamati Medical College and Rangamati University of Science and Technology; proper consultation with the CHT Regional Council and indigenous peoples’ leaders of the CHT prior to setting up of the above-mentioned educational institutions; forming of a high-level committee composed of eminent educationalists, scholars and IP leaders from the CHT for the purpose of setting up of above-mentioned educational institutions; ensuring quality education at primary, secondary and higher secondary level educational institutions in the CHT; and full and proper implementation the CHT Accord.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />-----------------------<br />
source:<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<strong style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', cursive;">Kapaeeng Foundation</strong></div>
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CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-67039098486609640112014-08-20T16:55:00.001+06:002014-08-20T16:55:57.143+06:00CHT Commission Condemns BGB & Police attack on indigenous villagers in Dighinala<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Following is a press statement from CHT Commission condemning attack on indigenous villagers in Dhiginala:<br />
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/237297855/CHTC-Statement-on-BGB-attack" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View CHTC Statement on BGB attack on Scribd">CHTC Statement on BGB attack</a></div>
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CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-9349208924564582982014-05-24T15:13:00.000+06:002014-05-24T15:13:00.605+06:00"Marginalization and Impunity: Violence in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh", side event held during the 13th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Kapaeeng Foundation, International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission
(CHTC), International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), and
Shimin Gaikou Centre organized an event titled "Marginalization and
Impunity: Violence in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh" during
the 13th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)
on Monday, May 19, 2014 at the UN FF building in New York.<br /><br />
Elsa Stamatopoulou, Co-chair of the International CHT Commission, and
Director of Columbia University’s Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Program,
said that the 1997 CHT Accord has been stagnating as it is still not
being implemented by the government in any meaningful way. She added
that impunity was not new in the CHT as major massacres and the burning
of villages, as well as systematic rape and limitations of religious
freedom in the CHT have not been investigated in any fair and impartial
way by the state in the past decades, both before and after the Peace
Accords. In addition, the systematic, state facilitated settlement of
the area over the years coupled with land-grabbing, the displacement of
Indigenous Peoples by the state, especially by settlers instigated or
supported by the state/the army, is worsening the human rights
situation. She said that, as is established under international human
rights law, governments bear the primary responsibility to respect,
protect and fulfill the human rights of the people in their countries,
while the international community along with the human rights and other
UN bodies also have a responsibility to promote and monitor the respect
of human rights. In that regard she mentioned a call by the UNPFII to
the Department of Peace Keeping Operations (DPKO) to develop a mechanism
to strictly monitor and screen human rights records of the Bangladesh
army personnel prior to allowing them to participate in peacekeeping
operations under the auspices of the United Nations. She also pointed
out that there was responsibility in the UN system, as well as bilateral
donors, to promote respect for human rights and peace through their
engagement with the Government of Bangladesh. Another aspect of
international responsibility lay with the exercise of international
criminal justice, as expressed via the Rome Statute on the International
Criminal Court (ICC), which has been ratified by Bangladesh.<br /><br />
Devasish Roy, the Chief of the Chakma Administrative Circle and the
Expert Indigenous Member from Asia to the UN Permanent Forum on
Indigenous Issues since 2011, spoke about identity, demographic
engineering, and implementation of the 1997 CHT Accord. He said that
although the Government of Bangladesh refuses to acknowledge the
existence of indigenous peoples in the country it has ratified the ILO
Convention No. 107 in 1972. The convention’s provisions apply equally to
“indigenous peoples” as they do to “tribals”. International human
rights law does not distinguish between tribals and indigenous anymore.
Roy further mentioned that Bangladeshis would be better peace keepers if
they respected human rights in their own country. The military presence
in the CHT should not be just be seen in term of their numbers, but
also their role in civil matters. He pointed out that it was very
difficult for indigenous peoples’ NGOs working on human rights issues,
as NGO Bureau registration is denied to them in a discriminatory manner,
depriving them from receiving direct foreign assistance. He felt that
they might have to seek redress in the Supreme Court if the current
trend of discrimination against them did not end. He expressed
disappointment that even though since independence in 1971 it has been
common for bills approved in the cabinet to be almost automatically
passed in parliament, the amendment bill of the 2001 Land Commission Act
has not followed the same trend. The Government of Bangladesh cited the
need of “inclusiveness” for the delay in passing the amendment Act in
parliament, which was totally unacceptable, given the decade-long delay
over the matter. Deprived of remedies at home, the indigenous peoples of
Bangladesh have no option but to seek support in international human
rights processes, but they need support from other human rights actors
in the process. Talking about government-sponsored settlers in the CHT,
Roy said that food rations were provided to them, unlike other sections
of the CHT population, in a discriminatory manner, merely to minoritize
the indigenous people, leading to ethnic conflict and tension over land
and other matters. <br /><br /> Jennifer Tauli Corpuz, an indigenous woman
from the Mountain Province in the Philippines and a lawyer by
profession, who coordinates the Legal Desk of Tebtebba Foundation
(Indigenous Peoples' International Center for Policy Research and
Education) said that she visited Rangamati and Khagrachari in the CHT in
2009 and felt nervous by the fact that she had to be registered at the
entrance by the security forces . Speaking about indigenous people’s
access to justice in Philippines she pointed out that the approach is
defined in law. The law in the Philippines says that indigenous people
have the right to resolve conflicts among themselves in their territory.
Appeals can be made to higher courts if that doesn’t work out. She said
that the Philippine approach has been to strengthen indigenous people’s
systems and sensitize communities on the rights of women. She thought
that the indigenous people’s advocacy was on the right track as they
were using the international advocacy mechanism but it was also
important to do better documentation work. She said that although
Bangladesh has ratified most of the human rights treaties the Government
of Bangladesh does not implement the treaties’ provisions and seems to
be insensitive to international pressure.<br /><br /> Bipasha Chakma, a
human rights activist and a researcher for Kapaeeng Foundation, spoke
about research she conducted on sexual violence against indigenous women
in the CHT. She said that indigenous women face discrimination based on
gender and ethnicity but the Bangladesh National Women’s Development
Policy (NWDP) did not address the issue of violence against indigenous
women and in the parliament there are no reserved seats for indigenous
women. Although the Indigenous and Tribal Populations Convention, 1957
(No. 107) was ratified by Bangladesh it has yet to be implemented and
ILO Convention no.169 is yet to be ratified. She pointed out that during
2007-2013 at least 245 cases of violence against women were carried out
and none of the perpetrators were prosecuted through the formal justice
system. Based on her research she found that the root causes of such
violence could be found in non-implementation of the CHT Accord,
impunity, land grabbing, and militarization. She pointed out that there
was a lack of systematic documentation of these cases and access to
legal procedures. The biased and corrupt administration led to this
situation at the courts.<br /><br /> A report titled “Marginalisation and
Impunity: Violence Against Women and Girls in the Chittagong Hill
Tracts” written by Dr. Bina D’ Costa of Australian National University
and published by the International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission
(CHTC), International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) and
Bangladesh Indigenous Women’s Network (BIWN) was disseminated at the
event. The report looks at cases studies of violence against women in
the CHT during the period 2011-2012 and emphasizes that militarization
and transmigration programs illegally settling Bengalis in the CHT have
created extreme vulnerability and poverty for the indigenous peoples,
and have deeply affected indigenous women’s and girls' safety and
security in the CHT. The report identifies that impunity has been the
most important factor contributing to increased incidents of sexual and
gender based violence in the CHT and the biases of the administrative,
political and judicial systems prevent access to equality and justice by
indigenous peoples. The report places several recommendations to the
Government of Bangladesh and to civil society groups based on the
findings of the research.<br /> Lola Garcia, the Executive Director of the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) moderated the event.<br /><br />
Indigenous rights researcher/adviser of Amnestly International Mr.
Chris Chapman, Advisor of Kapaeeng Foundation Mr. Mangal Kumar Chakma,
executive director of KF Mr. Pallab Chakma, assistant general secretary
of Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum Mr. Binota Moy Dhamai, PCJSS
member Ms. Ujana Larma Talukdar, Jumchab Metta Foundation’s executive
Ven. Shubhadarshi Bhikkhu, coordinator of International CHT Commission
Ms. Hana Shams Ahmed, coordinator of Maleya Foundation Mr. Dipujjal
Khisa and international delegates of indigenous peoples organisations
and human rights organisations attended the event.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">--------------------------------</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">courtesy:</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Kapaeeng Foundation</strong></span></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">(A Human Rights Organization for Indigenous Peoples of Bangladesh)</span></span></span></div>
</div>
CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-80483334385453695212014-05-24T15:02:00.001+06:002014-05-24T15:02:23.004+06:00Joint statement by Pallab Chakma on “Study on best practices and examples in respect of resolving land disputes and land claims" <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Following is a joint statement, delivered by Pallab Chakma on “Study on best practices and examples in respect of resolving land disputes and land claims". In his statement, Pallab Chakma highlighted the land issues of Chittagong Hill Tracts.<br />
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/225903255/Joint-statement-by-Pallab-Chakma" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Joint statement by Pallab Chakma on Scribd">Joint statement by Pallab Chakma</a></div>
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CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-57066870521601149922014-05-23T10:14:00.000+06:002014-05-23T10:14:04.907+06:00Ambassador Ib Petersen, representing Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland criticizes Bangladesh government for inactive CHT land commission and not implementing CHT accord<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ambassador Ib Petersen, representing Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland, criticizes Bangladesh government at the 13th session of UNPFII for inactive CHT land commission and not implementing CHT accord:<br />
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/225731593/Representative-from-Denmark-Norway-Sweden-and-Finland-criticizes-Bangladesh-for-not-implementing-CHT-accord-and-land-dipute" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Representative from Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland criticizes Bangladesh for not implementing CHT accord and land dipute on Scribd">Representative from Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland criticizes Bangladesh for not implementing CHT acco...</a> by <a href="http://www.scribd.com/chtnewsupdate" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View chtnewsupdate's profile on Scribd">chtnewsupdate</a></div>
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CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-79095416040431941382014-05-23T09:44:00.001+06:002014-05-23T09:44:12.698+06:00Ujana Larma Talukdar, on behalf of Bangladesh indigenous peoples' organizations intervened on agenda item 8, at the 13th session of UNPFII<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ujana Larma Talukdar, on behalf of Bangladesh indigenous peoples' organizations intervened on agenda item 8: "Future work of the Permanent Forum, including emerging issues". On her statement, she asked the Forum to encourage the member countries to use proper term to address their indigenous peoples.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmkM1hyphenhyphentm7ejUe3adRZUHXFG7Jf5623uM0fu1R_8yzYgnjPAVFMKU8PoO4hEHt-8yGwcdwmxUBvSoI3uJ-RJukBPT7uO-3DY9fs-M8EJTNL6MMGJuQDAQ3YtpzJDa4nsl0dr4WWKcUlPA/s1600/Ujana+Larma+Photo+UNPFII.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXmkM1hyphenhyphentm7ejUe3adRZUHXFG7Jf5623uM0fu1R_8yzYgnjPAVFMKU8PoO4hEHt-8yGwcdwmxUBvSoI3uJ-RJukBPT7uO-3DY9fs-M8EJTNL6MMGJuQDAQ3YtpzJDa4nsl0dr4WWKcUlPA/s1600/Ujana+Larma+Photo+UNPFII.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ujana Larma Talukdar. Photo courtesy: <span class="fbPhotoCaptionText">Broddi Sigurðarson, United Nations</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/225728656/Ujana-Larma-Talukdar-on-behalf-of-Bangladesh-indigenous-peoples-organizations-intervened-on-agenda-item-8-Future-work-of-the-Permanent-Forum-incl" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Ujana Larma Talukdar, on behalf of Bangladesh indigenous peoples' organizations intervened on agenda item 8: "Future work of the Permanent Forum, including emerging issues" on Scribd">Ujana Larma Talukdar, on behalf of Bangladesh indigenous peoples' organizations intervened on agenda item 8...</a> by <a href="http://www.scribd.com/chtnewsupdate" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View chtnewsupdate's profile on Scribd">chtnewsupdate</a></div>
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CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1314612523669716433.post-30139053649607074012014-05-23T08:47:00.002+06:002014-05-23T08:47:31.607+06:00Ellen Dictaan Bang-oa from Asia intervenes on Agenda Item 5: violence against indigenous women<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ellen Dictaan Bang-oa from Asia intervenes on Agenda Item 5: violence against indigenous women at the 13th session of UNPFII. Her statement includes the alarming situation of indigenous Jumma women in Chittagong Hill Tracts.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCA8Glpt4pM7xL7n3m-JyjJW1UFbIhL7kkuDFATzl7ExA2TxCPYzBIpSyYdayPfAXVvdCdIYMwvYn2c_tBJOvpLOjjoDOViI99qtlzFWq2nZDxRdgLARnYP0Apdm0gJNYYA6h6TlVjiPzR/s1600/Elan+photo+by+iphrdefender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCA8Glpt4pM7xL7n3m-JyjJW1UFbIhL7kkuDFATzl7ExA2TxCPYzBIpSyYdayPfAXVvdCdIYMwvYn2c_tBJOvpLOjjoDOViI99qtlzFWq2nZDxRdgLARnYP0Apdm0gJNYYA6h6TlVjiPzR/s1600/Elan+photo+by+iphrdefender.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy: iphrdefender</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/225726685/Ellen-Dictaan-Bang-oa-of-AIWN-development-aggression-eroded-the-dignity-and-identities-of-IP-women" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Ellen Dictaan Bang-oa of AIWN: development aggression eroded the dignity and identities of IP women on Scribd">Ellen Dictaan Bang-oa of AIWN: development aggression eroded the dignity and identities of IP women</a></div>
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CHT NEWS UPDATEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09505673966402243223noreply@blogger.com37