32 eminent citizens call for indigenous full minister for CHT affairs

Thirty-two distinguished citizens have called for appointing an acceptable person from the local indigenous communities as a full minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs, in line with longstanding demands of the hill peoples.

The call was made in a statement issued on Thursday, signed by Executive Director of the Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD), Shamsul Huda.

It comes after Dipen Dewan, who served as minister for CHT affairs under the BNP-led government, resigned on June 1, citing personal reasons. Currently, Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin is serving as state minister for the ministry.

“His [Dipen Dewan] resignation has sown seeds of doubt among the indigenous communities and mass people of the CHT that a certain quarter might have unreasonably created direct or indirect obstacles in performing his duties,” the statement said.

The signatories stressed that the 1997 CHT Peace Accord was not the achievement of any single party. They mentioned that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s government pledged to build a “Rainbow Nation” by addressing the demands of indigenous peoples of both hills and plains. They argued that excluding an indigenous full minister from the ministry undermines that commitment and damages the government’s image.

The statement urged that a full minister be appointed in line with the Peace Accord provisions, with full authority to manage the ministry.

Signatories include Advocate Sultana Kamal, founder chairperson of the Human Rights Culture Foundation; Khushi Kabir, coordinator of Nijera Kori; Abu Sayed Khan, writer and journalist; Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of TIB; Advocate ZI Khan Panna, chairperson of Ain o Salish Kendra; Barrister Sara Hossain, honorary executive director of BLAST; Dr Shahidul Alam, photographer; Shamsul Huda, executive director of ALRD; and Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court Subrata Chowdhury, among others.