Raja Devashis Roy, the Chakma Circle Chief, on Wednesday demanded immediate replacement of the chairman of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Land Disputes Resolution Commission to ensure 'just and impartial' functioning of the commission.
Devashis said that the commission needs an 'impartial' chairman.
Himself a member of CHT land disputes resolution commission, Devashish expressed concern over a recent recommendation of the commission chairman asking for surveying CHT lands before settlement of disputes.
In a statement, he demanded an amendment to the CHT Land Disputes Resolution Commission Act 2001 to remove some of the provisions which go against the interests of the people of CHT.
He particularly demanded doing away with the commission chairman's power of taking decisions unilaterally without consulting the district council representatives and the circle chiefs.
He issued the statement reacting to a news broadcast by the electronic media on July 5, which had stated that the CHT land commission chairman Khademul Islam Chowdhury recommended for surveying CHT land before or simultaneously with settlement of the disputes.
Having the powers of a civil court, he said, the commission was authorised only to settle the disputes.
He said that the commission had no jurisdiction to rehabilitate anyone.
Devashish pointed out that the CHT Regional Council and the three district councils in CHT alone could, through coordination, ask for surveying the land.
Devasish expressed his 'concern' over the commission not taking into the consideration the customary and traditional laws while thinking about surveying the land in CHT.
'If the concerned authorities do not pay attention to the traditional and the customary laws, the hill people's land of rights could be violated,' he said.
Devashish suggested for steps taking into the consideration the provisions of the 1997 CHT accord which emphasise on surveying the land after settlement of the disputes and rehabilitating the returnee national minority people.
Socio-political and minority organisations including, Parbatya Chttagram Jana Sanghati Samiti and CHT Civil Society have been opposing, for long, the unilateral decisions of the Land Commission chairman, Justice Khademul Islam Chowdhury.
Source : New Age
