Indigenous culture bill tabled

Parliament saw a bill tabled Monday for recognition, protection and preservation by the state of the cultural heritages of at least 25 ethnic minority and indigenous groups living in Bangladesh.

Culture minister Abul Kalam Azad placed the Ethnic Minorities Cultural Centres Bill 2009' in parliament and it was sent to the parliamentary standing committee on cultural affairs for further examination for three weeks. >more> http://bdnews24.com/details.php?id=146110&cid=2

Bangladesh prime minister issues directives to develop tourism

Underling the importance of Chittagong Hill Tracts as a tourist attraction,

the prime minister said peace was restored in the Chittagong Hill Tracts

(CHT) ...>more> http://www.eturbonews.com/12536/bangladesh-prime-minister-issues-directives-develop-tourism

Meeting of the CHT Accord Implementation Monitoring

DC of Bandarban reported that in the recent months 19 persons of

Neighbouring Myanmar were killed and 11 arms were captured including three

persons of so-called CHTNF (Chittagong Hill Tracts National Liberation>more> http://www.indigenousportal.com/Politics/Bangladesh-Meeting-of-the-CHT-Accord-Implementation-Monitoring-Committee-held.html

Indian Intelligence Involvement In Chittagong

The Indian intelligence had collaborated the armed rebels of Chittagong

Hill Tracts to destabilise the region ( Indo-Bangladesh Relation, Motiur

Rahman, daily Prothom Alo, Dhaka,10 December 2002). Posted by azimul haque

khan at 12:33 >more> http://azimthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/10/indian-intelligence-involvement-in.html

Report on Recent Government Meetings

On 26 October 2009 meeting of the CHT Accord Implementation Monitoring Committee was held at the office of Deputy Leader of the Parliament in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka. Presided over by Ms. Sayeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Convenor of the CHT Accord Implementation Committee and Deputy Leader of the Parliament, the meeting was attended by other two members of the Committee, namely, Mr. Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, President of PCJSS and Mr. Jatindra Lal Tripura, Chairman, Task Force on Rehabilitation of the Returnee Refugees and IDPs. >more> http://www.unpo.org/content/view/10272/102/

Interview with Brigadier retired General Hannan Shah

The military is being withdrawn from the Chittagong Hill Tracts ostensibly as part of implementing the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) peace accord of 1997. Many see this as a security threat to the region. As a former military officer, how do you view this?
The manner in which the military and other security forces are being removed from the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the name of the peace accord can only be suicidal for Bangladesh in the near future. The situation which should have emerged as a result of the CHT peace accord, namely security for the inhabitants of the area, has not materialised till date. >more> http://www.himalmag.com/Interview-with-Brigadier-retired-General-Hannan-Shah_dnw216.html

Chittagong Hills Tract: CHT Accord May Be Reviewed, if Needed: Sajeda

Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury has said the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord regarding the rehabilitation of displaced people may be reviewed, if necessary >more> http://www.unpo.org/content/view/10259/102/

Review of CHT accord, if necessary

Deputy Leader of the House and Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord Implementation Committee Convener Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury yesterday said the government would review the CHT peace agreement if it is necessary.

“The present government will do everything to implement the CHT treaty signed on December 2, 1997,” she told a press briefing at the Jatiya Sangsad Media Centre after the second meeting of the committee at her office in Parliament>more> http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=111499

Scrap decision to conduct CHT land survey

Speakers at a dialogue yesterday urged the CHT Land Commission to scrap its

decision to conduct a land survey in Chittagong Hill Tracts without

resolving> more> http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=111227

The peace messenger

1998 for her contribution to bringing peace through ending the 25 years of conflict in Chittagong Hill Tracts with political courage and statesmanship.>more> http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,109718.html

Indian Pursuing Terror for Hegemonic Ambition - Pakistan Defence Forum

In Bangladesh india trained, funded and sheltered “Santi bahini”

terrorist group in Chittagong hill tracts region for decades. As a result

thousands of Bangladeshis and army personal lost life and development of

that region has been ...>more> http://www.defence.pk/forums/world-affairs/37112-indian-pursuing-terror-hegemonic-ambition.html

Hasina seeks int'l help in climate change battle

Listing different pro-people programmes undertaken by her government, she
said apart from this the present government has taken various measurers for
development of Chittagong Hill Tracts. During the meeting, the SIDA
director general >more> http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=110809

CHT deal to be 'fully executed by this govt'

The 1997 peace agreement in the Chittagong Hill Tracts will be fully implemented before the government runs its term in line with the campaign pledge, the state minister for CHT affairs said Tuesday.

"We have already reconstituted various committees, which have also started work," Dipankar Talukder told reporters at the Secretariat >more > http://bdnews24.com/details.php?id=145296&cid=2

Burmese Monk Arrested in Bangladesh

Bangladesh Rifles forces in a village of Nakhongchari Township in Bangladesh on Sunday because he could not speak Bangla when the BDR personnel questioned him, said Venerable U Thila Wantha.

The monk was identified as U Thu Zarda, who was living in Byin Madauk Chakamar Village of Baisari under Nakhongchari Township in the south of the Chittagong Hill Tract. >more> http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=2381

HC appoints 2 amici curiae on CHT issue

he High Court (HC) yesterday appointed two senior lawyers as amicus curiae (friends of court) for expert opinions during the hearing on the HC rules regarding the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord.

The amici curiae are advocate TH Khan and barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud. >more> http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=110557

Scrap flawed land leases in CHT

A parliamentary standing committee yesterday asked the authorities concerned to scrap lease of about 27,250 acres of land in three hill districts for violating the lease contract given to 545 organisations and individuals.

The parliamentary standing committee on Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) affairs ministry also asked the ministry officials to ensure accountability and transparency of non-government organisations working in the hill areas.

"The committee in its meeting asked the deputy commissioner of Bandarban, Khagrachhari and Rangamati to take necessary steps to cancel lease of the hill lands allocated to as many as 545 individuals and organisations," Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing, a member of the committee, said. >more> http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=110383

30 Adivasi languages on verge of extinction

Education gradually turns inaccessible for the Adivasi people as the languages they speak are on the verge of extinction due mainly to a lack of practice.

Of the 30 existing Adivasi languages, at least seven have so far become endangered. Reduction in population in respective community and neglect by successive governments worsened the situation. >more> http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=110250

US sanctions Kurdish separatists

August 18th, 2009 DHAKA - Five Indian separatists have been arrested fromthe wooded hills of Khagrachhari in Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts,>more> http://blog.taragana.com/n/us-sanctions-kurdish-separatists-196517/

Govt strictly against it

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said if anyone of the country's law-enforcement agencies is found guilty of extra-judicial killings, they would be given stringent punishment.

She made the remark when Human Rights Ambassadors of the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany--Arjan Hamburger, Amold de Fine Skibsted and Gunter Nooke--paid a courtesy call on her at her office yesterday >more> http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=109805

Border dispute glitch in polls

At Holongi in Papum Pare district, 248-odd Chakma asserted their democraticrights as citizens of Arunachal Pradesh. “For the first time, we havecast our >more> http://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/12452cbddbbd7be0