Hill Voice, 26 April 2025, International Desk: Representative of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS), Manojit Chakma, has delivered statement on agenda item 4: “Discussion on the six mandated areas of the Permanent Forum (economic and social development, culture, environment, education, health and human rights), with reference to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” on Friday (April 25) at the 24th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII).

In his statement, Manojit Chakma said that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development could be the milestone for the betterment of the Indigenous peoples and it has proven effectiveness in many cases or situations and in other cases, it is fruitless because of the ill motive of the government, ruling people’s unwillingness, religious obstruction or fundamentalist’s resistance, etc. Such circumstances can be observed in the case of the situation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts’ Indigenous Jumma peoples in Bangladesh.

All the six mandated areas of the Permanent Forum in the Chittagong Hill Tracts or CHT of Bangladesh have been stuck due to the government’s inaction, general peoples’ poor perception, religious fundamentalists’ pressure and the Bangladesh military’s intervention. If the mandated areas are taken care of and the government would provide all necessary measures, protection, enhancement and speeded up steps, the CHT Indigenous Jumma peoples could have appreciated profoundly and at the same time, the country could have achieved an international recognition in human rights.

You may be aware that Bangladesh made an agreement or an accord called the CHT Accord with the Indigenous peoples of the CHT in 1997. Now it is 2025, the implementation of the Accord still remains incomplete which is unfortunate. The signatory party of the Accord has demitted and fled the country for its dictatorial attitude and now the new Interim Government is very aware of the CHT situation and has power to do something for the betterment of the CHT Indigenous Jumma peoples. It has also knowledge on the six mandated areas of UN for Indigenous peoples that give rights to Indigenous peoples which include development, cultural and traditional rights for their surviving existence.

On January 15, 2025, when the Indigenous peoples were going to the National Curriculum & Text book Board (NCTB) in Dhaka to protest for not erasing the word “Indigenous” from a text book, they were attacked by a group of Bengali settlers under the banner of Students for Sovereignty who are against the interest of the Indigenous Jumma peoples. In the incident, at least 22 Indigenous peoples were injured including 7 seriously injured ones. The present Interim Government has shown its honesty by arresting five accused though three were released on bail. The Indigenous people expect that the Interim Government will not behave like the dictator Sheikh Hasina government that during her rule, no justice or mere justice was given in the judicial system for the Indigenous cases.

There is a new development for peace in the CHT that the Interim Government has reconstituted the CHT Accord Implementation and Monitoring Committee in January 2025. But even though three months have passed since the formation of this committee, no meeting of this committee has been held yet.

The United Nations could still provide logical advice to and ask the Interim Government for a speeded-up implementation due to which the Indigenous Jumma people would be able to impart the six mandated areas of the Permanent Forum to their proper livelihoods, says PCJSS representative.

It is worth mentioning that the 24th session of the Permanent Forum began on April 21 and will continue until May 2, 2025. Participating on behalf of the indigenous peoples of Bangladesh in this session are Pallab Chakma of Kapaeeng Foundation, Chanchana Chakma, Augustina Chakma, Monojit Chakma and Mong O Prue of PCJSS, Tony Chiran of Bangladesh Indigenous Youth Forum, and Bijubi Chakma of CHT Indigenous People’s Council of Canada.

Besides, a 6-member delegation including Secretary of CHT Affairs Ministry Abdul Khalek, Chairman of CHT Development Board Anup Kumar Chakma, and representatives of intelligence agencies are participating in this event.