Tomorrow marks the 26th anniversary of the Peace Accord in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).
During the first term of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, an agreement was made on December 2, 1997, between the government and the Parbatya Chattogram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS), bringing an end to brutal confrontations in three hill districts.
The agreement was signed by Joritindra Bodhipriyo Larma (Santu Larma) on behalf of PCJSS and Abul Hasnat Abdullah, the Chief Whip of Jatiya Sangsad (JS) at the time, on behalf of the government.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today issued separate messages marking the completion of 26 years of the signing of the historic agreement.
Both the President and the Prime Minister greeted all people in the Chattogram hill districts on the occasion of completion of 26 years of the covenant.
In his message, the President called upon everyone to contribute more to the overall development of the country, including the hill districts.
The head of state recalled that on December 2, 1997, at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s initiative, the CHT Affairs National Committee and the PCJSS signed the historic CHT Peace Accord, putting an end to long-standing disputes.
The President went on to say that the peaceful resolution of issues will be remembered for the historic peace pact signed at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s initiative.
He expressed the expectation that CHT would advance in its growth and that the peace agreement would be sustained.
In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted the countrymen, specially the people of the three hill districts, on the occasion of the completion of 26 years of the historic agreement.
The Prime Minister sought cooperation from all for full implementation of the CHT peace accord and thus building a prosperous, happy and peaceful ‘Sonar Bangla’ of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman through socio-economic development of the hill regions.
On December 2 in 1997, the historic CHT Peace Accord was signed without the mediation of any third party, with a view to stopping bloody conflicts in the CHT, the premier said.
