THE CHITTAGONG HILL TRACTS: AN ACCOUNT OF THE REGION’S DEVELOPMENT AND REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION STATUS OF THE 1997 PEACE ACCORD

Abstract

The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) has been unanimously deemed as one of the most significant regions of Bangladesh dominantly due to the diversity stemming from the multiple ethnic tribes inhabiting the CHT namely the Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Mro, Khumi and more. The CHT’s picturesque beauty in addition to being abundant in natural resources has made the region a very essential region of Bangladesh. However, sustainable peace in the CHT has always been fleeting. Throughout the recorded history of the area. Such aspirations made assimilation under the unitary "Bengali" nationalism quite difficult, resulting in a 22-year-long insurgency by the hill tribe insurgents against the Bengali groups and the Bangladesh government. To end hostilities and ameliorate relations, the government signed the landmark Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord with the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS) in 1997. Despite signing the peace agreement, full implementation of all the Accord's contents have not been realised at the time of conducting this research. This research pursues an in-depth field exploration of the status of development, growth, prosperity, intergroup relations and perceptions held by both the Pahari people and the Bengalis in the CHT. Upon embarking on the field exploration, the study records primary data derived from the physical conditions and developments of the region, the opinions of the inhabitants, both positive and negative. The study then uses secondary sources to justify the primary data derived from the region. Finally, after elaborated analysis and discussion, the research formulates a few policy recommendations for the authorities concerned to expedite the process of fully materialising all that had been stated in the CHT Peace Accord.