Int’l CHT Commission concerned over deployment of APBn in CHT

The International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission, in a press release issued on Saturday, expressed deep concern over the Bangladesh government’s decision of deploying a new unit of the Armed Police Battalion replacing the vacant army camps in the Chattogram Hill Tracts.

The release, signed by Sultana Kamal, Elsa Stamatopoulou, and Myrna Cunningham Kain, co-chairs of the CHT Commission, stated that they believed that the government’s initiative was a direct violation of the CHT Accord, which stipulated that temporary military camps would be withdrawn from the area, but did not mention anything about the camps being replaced by APBn.

According to reports of different print and electronic media on May 26, 2022, home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal laid the foundation stone for four to be established units of APBn in the three districts of the CHT.

The event was preceded by a decision of the government to deploy APBn at the vacant army camps in the CHT.

The release said that the government’s decision was a direct violation of the letter and spirit of the Accord.

The statement also said that the commission was worried about the threatening speeches made by the inspector general of police Benazir Ahmed, and GOC of the 24th Infantry Division of the Bangladesh Army, Major General Md Saiful Abedin, at the event.

The statement said that the government wanted to deal with the CHT issue with muscle and violence instead of handling it politically and peacefully.

To improve the law-and-order situation in CHT, instead of replacing former military camps with APBn camps, the commission urged the government to transfer the ‘police (Local)’ subject to the Hill District Councils and facilitate the formation of Hill District Police Force as per the CHT Accord and the Hill District Councils Acts of 1989.

The commission also urged the government to discuss with the relevant and concerned groups such as the CHT Regional Council, regional political parties, traditional institutions, and the civil society groups before making any important decision related to the CHT.

It requested the authorities concerned promptly and independently investigate the allegations of human rights violations and bring to account those responsible.

The commission urged the government ensure protection for indigenous rights activists from extrajudicial killings, harassment, intimidation, and arbitrary arrests and to declare a roadmap and time frame to implement the 1997 CHT Accord fully and without any further delay.

News Courtesy:

https://www.newagebd.net/article/171841/intl-cht-commission-concerned-over-deployment-of-apbn-in-cht