Hill Voice, 15  May 2019, Wednesday, Dhaka:  A meeting between the CHT Regional Council (CHTRC) and Ministry of CHT Affairs (MoCHTA) was held at MoCHTA of Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka on Wednesday. The delegation of the CHTRC was led by its Chairman Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma while other members of the delegation were Goutam Kumar Chakma, K S Mong Marma and Nurul Alam, members of the CHTRC. Presided over by Minister of the MoCHTA Bir Bahadur Shwe Sing MP, the meeting was attended by acting Secretary of the MoCHTA Md. Mesbahul Islam, additional secretary Roma Rani Roy and Sudatta Chakma of the MoCHTA. The meeting was started at 11:00 am. Following issues were discussed in the meeting:

  1. Enactment of the Rules of the CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission.
  2. Resolution of the case filed or under trial in Bangladesh Supreme Court against CHT Accord.
  3. Initiative for issuing a circulation from the Cabinet Division stating that Rules of Business 1996, Secretariat Orders 2014 and other laws, rules, orders, circulations, policies etc. shall be applicable in the CHT to the extent that are consistent with the existing laws and regulations of three hill districts in the CHT.
  4. Proper execution of provision for framing and publishing regulations under Hill District Council Acts and CHT Regional Council Act.
  5. Transfer of all concerned offices, manpower, financial matters of Police (local) and Law & Orders of the Hill Districts to the Hill District Councils, CHT Regional Council and MoCHTA in accordance with laws.
  6. Transfer of all concerned functions and subjects including offices and institutions to the Hill District Councils and CHT Regional Council by executive order.
  7. Proper engagement of CHT Regional Council and three Hill District Councils in all development works of the Hill Districts of the CHT as per existing laws.
  8. Issuing circulation by Cabinet Division stating that MoCHTA, as per its Allocation of Business, shall coordinate all the subjects of three hill districts of the CHT including land and land management and local bodies & local authorities.

It is learnt that the subjects mentioned above were discussed positively and cordially in the meeting and decisions were taken for urgent actions of these issues. However, it is to be afraid that every meeting makes good discussion and concrete decision, but the decisions of every meeting almost remain unimplemented. Transfer of all subjects/functions to the Hill District Councils and CHT Regional Council, enactment of Rules of CHT Land Commission, resolution of the case against CHT Accord under trial in Supreme Court, engagement of the Hill District Councils and CHT Regional Council were discussed and taken decision for implementation in several meetings of CHT Affairs Ministry, CHT Accord Implementation and Monitoring Committee, CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission, Task Force and so on, but after that, all the times all decisions remained unaddressed.