Current status of implementation of the CHT Accord of 1997: Part 11

Hill Voice, 30 November 2024, Special Correspondent:

Appointment of Permanent Residents in all jobs in CHT on priority basis

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.

Though the Section No. 18 of Part ‘D’ of the CHT Accord has the provision for appointment of the permanent dwellers of the CHT on the basis of preference to the Jummas against all the posts of officers of all ranks and employees of different classes in government, semi-government, local government and autonomous bodies of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, but it is not being implemented properly.

This provision is not being implemented properly. To make this provision of the Accord effective, CHT Regional Council submitted recommendations to the Ministry of CHT Affairs and Ministry of Establishment (at present Ministry of Public Administration). But it was not implemented.

In this regard, on 22 October 2000 the Ministry of Establishment provided favorable advice to make the issue effective. According to the said advice, the Ministry of CHT Affairs, in order to include this provision of the Accord in the concerned appointment regulations, sent to various ministries or departments or institutions on 25-08-2002. However, no progress has been made in this regard.

CHT Regional Council re-submitted recommendations on this issue. In context to the approach, the Public Administration Ministry issued gazette notification on 27 June 2014 to make the provision effective. The said notification has not yet been sent to the concerned departments, institutions and authorities in CHT.

It is pertinent to note that the issue of employment of permanent residents on the basis of priority of tribals in all types of jobs has not yet been included in the relevant rules and regulations prevailing in the country and has not been followed in practice so far. As a result, outsiders (non-permanent residents) are still being appointed to various jobs in the CHT and extreme corruption and partisanship of the ruling party continues in the process of these appointments.

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.