National University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Harun-or-Rashid said, “Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Problem in Bangladesh stemmed from pursuance of a policy of Homogeneity and Majoritarian State Ideal”.
He said this at a seminar titled “Process of Marginalization of indigenous people in their homeland: A Study on CHT in Bangladesh” at the Ryukoku Unversity in Japan on Saturday.
He said, the 1997 CHT Peace accord is a landmark development in Bangladesh’s political history holding the policy of homogeneity and majoritarian state ideal as the root cause of the CHT problem resulting in an insurgency spanning over two decades.
Professor Harun said that planned human settlement from plain land into the CHT region by General Ziaur Rahman and later by General Ershad during 1976-1987 put the hill people in brinkmanship. He also observed that implementation of CHT Peace accord to the letter and spirit including settlement of long standing land dispute was most vital for sustained peace in the CHT.
Dr. Harun in his presentation held the growth of a vested interests encompassing all segments i.e civilian, non-civilian, administration, business, corporate houses, politicians, settlers, NGOs and other bodies, a section of tribal leaders, individuals around land as the main impediment to the implementation of the peace accord.
He observed that implementation of an Accord is as important as its signing. He concluded by saying that even a homogeneous, unitary state, as Bangladesh is, should pursue a policy of ‘Unity in diversity’ or in other words, pluralism in respect of its ethnic, religious minorities.
Held with Professor Mitsuya Dake, the Director of the Centre for the Study of Contemporary India in Ryukoku University (RINDAS) in the Chair, the seminar was largely attended including, among others, by Professor Dr. Yusho Wakahara, Professor Emeritus Dr. Nobuko Nagasaki, Professor Dr. Akio Tanabe, Director, Centre for the study of Contemporary India in Kyoto University INDAS0 and Dr. Okamoto of Kyokoku University.
After his presentation, Dr. Harun -or-Rashid answered the questions raised by participants of the seminar.
