Five more army camps were withdrawn from Chittagong Hill Tracts on Monday following the government decision to pull out troops from the region in implementation of the CHT peace treaty.
Of the five camps, one was dismantled in Khagrachhari while four in Rangamati, UNB correspondents quoting security sources reported from the two hill districts.
Meanwhile, Bengali settlers staged a sit-in demo in front of Digalchhari camp this morning in protest against the army pullout, citing their security concerns.
Later, they withdrew their protest programme following the assurances of the Barkal UNO and the OC of Barkal thana of ensuring their “security”.
In Khagrachhari, 38 army, police and ansar personnel from the Pobangpara camp in Dighinala upazila were brought to the Dighinala Sadar Zone in the morning, a security source told the UNB district correspondent.
So far, four army camps have been withdrawn from this hill district (Khagrachhari), most troubled by protracted tribal insurgency until the truce was struck on December 2, 1997.
In Rangamati, army personnel from four camps were withdrawn yesterday for the first time since the pullout began Friday.
Sources concerned told the UNB correspondent that the army personnel from Digalchhari camp in Barkal upazila and Hamidtila camp in Sadar upazila were brought to the Sadar Zone while troops from Amitpara camp in Rajsthali upazila and Sitapahar camp in Kaptai closed to Kaptai Brigade.
The government, as per its decision, would pull out 21 camps from Rangamti, 12 from Khagrachhari and two from Bandarban districts. According to sources concerned, the government has already sent in letters to the deputy commissioners of the three hill districts with the pullout direction.
The UNOs of all the upazilas of the hill districts have been given directives to remain “alert” in maintaining law and order.
The new government started withdrawing the army camps from the district Friday as per terms of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord.
The present government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on July 29 announced its decision to withdraw one brigade of troops and 35 temporary security camps from the CHT region by next month (September). On Friday, the formal pullout started with the closedown of camps in the backwoods of the hill districts.
On December 2, 1997, the government of then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina signed the peace accord with PCJSS leader Jyotirindra Bodhipriaya Larma alias Shantu Larma, putting an end to over a two-decade bloodletting bush war for self-rule. The accord also brought back refugees from camps in the northeastern Indian state of Tripura.
In the meantime, a petition was filed with the High Court Sunday seeking injunction against the army pullout from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Receiving the application, a division bench comprising Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury fixed August 16 for hearing.
Courtesy of UNB, Dhaka
Photo: Banglar Chokh
