Jun 01, 2007

Chittagong Hill Tracts: Dispute Settlement


The government of Bangladesh is going to activate the Chittagong Hill Tracts Land Commissions in order to settle land-related disputes. The commission had remained inactive for more than 3 years.

The government of Bangladesh is going to activate the Chittagong Hill Tracts Land Commissions in order to settle land-related disputes. The commission had remained inactive for more than 3 years.

Below is an article published by the Daily Star:

The government is going to activate the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Land Commission to resolve land related disputes between indigenous communities and Bangla speaking settlers of the region.

The CHT Land Commission was made to resolve land related disputes between the two communities but the commission remained inactive since its formation more than three years ago.

The decision was made yesterday at a meeting of CHT Advisory Council held after more than six years. Since the formation of the council, only two meetings were held during the last Awami League government. No meeting of the council were held during the four-party alliance government.

Foreign and CHT Affairs Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury chaired the meeting held at the auditorium of CHT affairs ministry. Chairman of CHT Regional Council Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, circle chiefs of Chakma, Bomang and Mong, and chairman and members of Khagrachhari, Bandarban and Rangamati district council were present at the meeting.

Meeting sources said the commission would start working in full swing to help develop the region. The meeting also discussed about the problem of land disputes in the region.

It is widely believed that the land dispute problem started when the governments of late 70s and early 80s rehabilitated Bangla speaking people from different parts of country on the lands of indigenous communities in CHT.

The peace accord signed between the government and Parbatya Chattagram Jana Shanghati Samity (PCJSS) on December 2, 1997, mentions the formation of Chittagong Hill Tracts Land Commission to resolve land related disputes. According to the accord, the commission was formed November 1, 2004 headed by a retired judge.

Yesterday's meeting also decided to appoint some staff to facilitate the works of the commission.