DHAKA, Oct 28, 2018 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today put emphasis on maintaining peace in the hills and urged all to extend cooperation to the Land Commission to solve the land dispute in the Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT).
“We want no more unrest and conflict in CHT … we want the people of the region to stay well, we want peace to be maintained there,” she said while inaugurating ‘Sheikh Hasina Chattogram Hill Tracts Complex’ on Bailey Road in the capital this afternoon.
Sheikh Hasina said the country including the CHT region will achieve prosperity through peace, while progress will come following peace.
“And we’ll build a hunger and poverty-free Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Bangabandhu through this progress and prosperity Insha Allah,” she added.
Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, Convenor of the CHT Peace Accord Implementation Committee Abul Hasanat Abdullah, Chairman of CHT Regional Council Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, popularly known as Santu Larma, and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of CHT Affairs RAM Ubaidul Muktadir Chowdhury were present as the special guests.
State Minister for CHT Affairs Ministry Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing presided over the function, while Secretary of the ministry Nurul Amin delivered the welcome address.
A documentary on long-lasting peace and development initiatives of Bangabandhu and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the CHT was screened at the function.
Ministers, PM’s advisers, parliament members, diplomats, representatives of development partners and international organisations were also present.
The prime minister said her government has done everything necessary for implementing the CHT Peace Accord and formed the Land Commission to solve land dispute in the region.
But, she said, there is a problem in giving compensation to the hill people during acquisition of their land. “They don’t get compensation as per the rule that is followed to provide compensation for the people of other parts of the country,” she said, adding the reason is that a problem regarding ownership exists there.
In this connection, the prime minister preferred to follow the country’s own law instead of the British law. “If the hill people get their land ownership in their own name according to the law of our country, the problems like the hill people’s deprivation of compensation will be over,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina urged all to extend cooperation to the Land Commission so it can quickly solve the land dispute in the CHT region by working properly. The commission faces obstacles while going to work, she added.
The prime minister said the days are changing and the world is moving fast and is being enriched with modern technology and science. “So we want everybody to live with the ownership of their land and their development will be made in this way,” she said.
The prime minister said her government had signed the peace accord ending two decades of unrest in the CHT region.
“We’re started implementing the accord after signing the deal. The execution of the deal was halted when we were not in power from 2001-2006. But after coming to power again in 2009, we restarted implementation of the accord,” she said.
She said all will have to keep in mind that development could not be made if peaceful atmosphere does not exist.
Sheikh Hasina said the hill people were neglected for 20 years and the people of other parts of the country could not visit the area at that time. “When we visited the area, we were asked to leave the area by 3 pm and this was the situation there,” she said.
But that situation was over after the signing of the peace accord, she said, adding, “To end the 20-year deprivation, we are giving special allocations to build roads, bridges, schools, colleges and universities… even we’re constructing residential schools so that the hill children pursue education.”
In this connection, the prime minister asked the CHT Regional Council and District Councils to prepare projects or make proposals for development of their respective areas. “We will implement the schemes by giving special allocations,” she said.
“We want all people of the region lead a beautiful life by becoming self-reliant and nobody lags behind,” she added.
About the quota for ethnic minority people in the public service, Sheikh Hasina said she directed the Public Service Commission to give priority to the ethnic minority people.
“Though quota system was revoked, I asked the PSC to priority to the ethnic minority candidates wherever they live – in the hills or plain land,” she said.
“We’re making an arrangement for them in this regard and will do it … we give you our word,” she said, adding that: “All of them are our citizens and we don’t see them separately as they all have equal rights.”
The premier said during Awami League government, remarkable development activities have been implemented in three hill districts for improving the living standard of CHT people.
After signing the Peace Accord, she said, 1659-km roads have been constructed in CHT region for the development of communication, while, a Tk 879 crore project has been taken for 873 km electric line extension and electricity distribution.
The prime minister said a number of projects in education and health sectors have been undertaken in the region, and mobile phone network has been extended.
“Many projects have jointly been taken by the government and development partners for socioeconomic development, preservation of biodiversity, protection of environment and cultural diversity,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said CHT people did not have their own establishment in Dhaka. “I’ve sanctioned two acres of land for the construction of the CHT complex and through it, the address of CHT people has been established,” she said.
She said the complex has created a scope for performing different social and cultural activities of CHT people, adding it will contribute as a centre of all activities of 3 hill districts to the capital.
“I hope, it will play a vital role in exchange of views between the CHT people and the people of other parts,” she said.
Extending his sincere thanks to the prime minister for setting up the CHT Complex in Dhaka, Santu Larma said it will develop a link between the hills and plain lands.
“This complex has been established due to special role and sincere initiatives of the prime minister,” the CHT regional council chairman said urging Sheikh Hasina to contribute more to further improving life and livelihood of the hill people.
The prime minister later witnessed a colourful cultural programme presented by the artistes of the hill region.
At the outset of the inaugural function of the CHT Complex, she was adorned with an “Uttariya” by Reeva Chakma, while a traditional saree and a shwal of the CHT were presented to her by Sushmita Chakma.