The Awami League has not taken any step in its 28-month rule to implement the Chittagong Hill Tracts Treaty, Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, who signed the deal with the government on behalf of the hill peoples in 1997, said on Friday.
Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, popularly known as Santu Larma, who is the president of Partbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity, made the allegation in the 11th central council session of Parbatya Chattagram Mahila Samity held in Rangamati outer stadium.
He said the love and responsibility the prime minister had shown for the hill people 13 years ago seemed to have become thinned as she was not keeping her words at the pressure from certain quarters.
Larma said the hill people would become extinct if the orchestrated attacks on them continued and cited the recent deadly attacks on hill people at Baghaighat, Langadu, and Ramgarh as examples of the process of elimination. He also branded the United People's Democratic Front a terrorist outfit and demanded that it should be banned.
Santu Larma also criticised state minister for CHT affairs Dipangkar Talukder for not keeping his words. 'Neither the Awami League nor Dipankar is interested in implementing the CHT treaty. He has not taken any step so far in this regard.'
Santu said the hill people who became leaders of the mainstream political parties like Awami League, BNP, and Jatiya Party were in politics to serve their own interests, not the interests of the hill people.
JSS leader Mangal Kumar Chakma, social activist Nilima Chakma, MN Larma Foundation convener Bijoy Ketan Chakma, Pahari Chhatra Parishad president Bablu Chakma, and Hill Women Federation leader Jonaki Chakma also spoke in the programme chaired by Jyoti Prova Chakma.
Source: New Age
