The Government and tribal leaders signed a long-awaited peace treaty yesterday which promises to end more than two decades of bloody conflict in the southeastern Chittagong Hill Tracts that has claimed thousands of lives.
The breakthrough came after about seven months of intense negotiations between the National Committee on Chittagong Hill Tracts, headed by parliamentarian Abul Hasnat Abdullah, and Jyotiryndra Bodhi Priya Larma, popularly known as Shantu Larma, the head of the main insurgent group, the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity.
'It's a historic moment for all of us,' said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed at the formal signing of the treaty which took place at her office.
'Let us now all hope that we can build permanent peace in the hill tracts which has seen so much of bloodshed.' Much the same view was expressed by Shantu Larma, who said: 'It's time for all concerned to take advantage of the treaty and make the best out of it so that all of us can live in peace in the region.' But scepticism persisted over whether the treaty could bring real peace as the main opposition party and its allies have vowed to resist the implementation of the accord, calling it a total betrayal of the national interest.
'We're rejecting it outright as it amounts to complete violation of the sovereignty of the country,' said Abdul Mannan Bhuyian, secretary-general of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
However, he appeared ambivalent on exactly what specific terms of the accord were against the national interest. 'We're still examining the whole treaty and then we will announce our programme of action,' he said.
