The Chittagong Hill Tracts have been the scene of an armed conflict between ethnic rebels, led by the Shanti Bahini, and the government. Although the government claims most articles of the resulting 1997 peace accord have been implemented, many, including the Shanti Bahini leader Santu Larma, say otherwise. “They are living in miserable conditions in Khagrachhari and Rangamati,” said Santoshito Chakma, secretary of Chittagong Hill Tracts Jumma Refugee Welfare Association. “The CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission is not being able to play an effective role as the rules and regulations of the Commission are yet to be enacted.”According to the CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission, a total of 23,860 applications for assistance have been filed since the latest amendment of the CHT Land Commission Act. Meghna Guhathakurta, the head of think tank Research Initiatives, Bangladesh, told Reuters that there was a hope for change when the peace accord came into being.

Source: Dhaka Tribune December 01, 2017 16:30 UTC