Hill Voice, 29 November 2024, Special Correspondent:

Withdrawal of all temporary camps including ‘Operation Uttoran’

The historic Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Accord was signed on 2 December 1997 between the Government of Bangladesh and the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) with a view to resolving the CHT problem in political and peaceful means.

Section No. 17 of Part ‘D’ of the CHT Accord states that After the signing and execution of the Agreement between the Government and the Jana Samhati Samiti and immediately after return of the members of Jana Samhati Samiti to normal life, all the temporary camps of the army, the Ansars and the Village Defence Party (VDP), excepting the Border Security Force (BDR) and permanent army establishment (being those three at the three district headquarters and those at Alikadam, Ruma and Dighinala), shall be taken back by phases from Chittagong Hill Tracts to permanent cantonments and the time-limit shall be fixed for its purpose. In case of deterioration of the law and order situation, in time of normal calamities and for similar other purposes, Army Forces may be deployed under the authority of the civil administration in adherence to Law and Rules as are applicable to all the other parts of the country. In this respect, the Regional Council may, in order to get the required or timely help make requests to the appropriate authority.

After signing the Accord, from among more than five hundred camps, it was only 66 temporary camps were withdrawn in two phases in 1997-1999 and 35 temporary camps in 2009-2013 were withdrawn. But many of the withdrawn camps have been re-established back. At least 20 camps have been re-established during the Covid-19 pandemic. On the other hand, 17 new camps were established during the operation against KNF in Bandarban.

As per this provision of the Accord, no time-line for withdrawal of the temporary camps back to their respective permanent stations has been fixed. Out of 545 temporary camps, 101 camps have been withdrawn, but the other temporary camps of Army, Ansar and Village Defence forces numbering more than 400 have not been withdrawn.

It is to be mentioned that in place of ‘Operation Dabanol’ (Operation Wildfire), ‘Operation Uttoran’ (Operation Upliftment) was unilaterally promulgated and imposed by the government in CHT on 1 September 2001. By merit of the ‘Operation Uttoron’, the army has been playing the decision-making role in all the important affairs including the general administration, law & order, tourism and development sectors.

On the other hand, instead of withdrawing all the temporary camps, a directive was issued from the APBN Headquarters on 13 April 2022 that “police will be deployed in the site of 240 camps withdrawn by the army”.

Sub-Section (b) of Section No. 17 of the CHT Accord also states the lands and premises abandoned by the camps and the cantonments of the military and para-military forces shall be made over to their real owners or to the Hill District Councils. But this Section of the Accord is not being implemented. In most cases the sites of the camps withdrawn were not handed over to the original owners or the Hill District Council. In addition, through the establishment and expansion of camps, the lands of Jumma people are being occupied.

It should be noted that although the civil administration is in force in the CHT, the army is practically controlling everything by merit of Operation Uttoran. By setting up check-posts on various roads of the CHT, the army have continued operations in rural areas, including searching passenger bus-launches to all types of vehicles if deemed necessary. In the presence of the army, the Bengali settlers are carrying out communal attacks on the Jumma people one after another.

In fact, after the signing of the CHT Accord, two-thirds of the clauses including the core issues of the Accord have not been implemented even in the past 27 years.