PCJSS press conference protesting against enactment of anti-CHT accord and anti-people laws and programmes of government in CHT

PCJSS press conference protesting against enactment of anti-CHT accord and anti-people laws and programmes of government in CHT

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

PCJSS also urged government to undertake initiative for speedy and proper implementation of all the unimplemented issues of CHT Accord.

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.

Following is the press statement of PCJSS:

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