Food ration in hills: Most beneficiaries of public money Bangalee settlers

Source: The Daily Star News

The government has to spend over Tk 100 crore a year to provide food rations to 40,335 families, mostly Bangalee settlers living in 81 cluster villages in Chittagong Hill Tracts.

And it has been shouldering the expenditure for years without solving the problems in CHT region.

A total 26,220 Bangla-speaking families living in the 81 cluster villages in Khagrachhari and Rangamati districts have been getting the ration since October 1988. The remaining 14,115 families are repatriated indigenous refugees and members of the Shanti Bahini who have been given the ration since 1998.

Many said most Bangalee families are quite well-off for getting the food ration of 85kg rice a month each, but the government has never stopped providing it.

In 1986, when massive violence erupted in the region HM Ershad's government built the cluster villages for Bangalee settlers near army camps to ensure their safety and security and later decided to provide them with food ration initially for three years.

On the issue, some Bangalees living in Baghaichhari upazila of Rangamati said the government has not increased the number of recipients for years.

"Population has increased in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Now they should review and increase the number of ration recipients," said Abdul Kalam, who moved to Baghachhari from Dighinala, Khagrachhari, three years ago.

Indigenous recipients comprise those who returned from the Indian state of Tripura after the CHT Peace Accord was inked in 1997 and brought an end to the decades of bush war in the hilly terrain.

Over 65,000 members of the 12,170 ethnic families have been receiving 5kg rice each for adults and 2.5kg for minors every week since January 1998.

As per the peace accord, the repatriated indigenous people were supposed to get ration for only one year by when they were supposed to get back their land and be rehabilitated by the government.

However, the government is yet to rehabilitate many of them and ensure their safety and security.

"We want safety and security of our lives and we want to get back our land," said Santashito Chakma Bakul, general secretary of the Repatriated Jummah Refugee.

"Since our return to the country in 1998 Bangalee settlers have attacked us 11 times," he said, adding, "If the government can ensure these, we will not need the rations anymore."

A total 1,945 members of Shanti Bahini have the ration cards and have been receiving 100kg rice a month each as per the CHT Peace Accord.

In 2003, the BNP-led four-party alliance government stopped food rationing only for the indigenous people for six months. It, however, resumed it amid protests.

Bengali settlers constructed makeshifts on the Recorded lands of Jumma people at Pablakhali in Baghaichari

Source: PCJSS, Chittagram Hill Tract

Picture (courtesy: PCJSS, CHT): Bengali settlers constructed makeshifts on the Recorded lands of Jumma people at Pablakhali in Baghaichari

Very recently Bengali settlers in the name of Bangladesh Muktijuddha Punarbasan Society (Bangladesh Freedom Fighters Rehabilitation Society) constructed around five hundred makeshifts on the recorded lands of Jumma people near Bhangamura army sub-zone camp at Pablakhali area under Khedarmara union and Amtali union of Baghaichari upazila in Rangamati.

It is also learnt that on behalf of Bangladesh Muktijuddha Punarbasan Society, its district president Md. Bacchu Mia and district commander Mokhlesur Rahman submitted application to Land Minister and State Minister for CHT Affairs on 5 January 2010 to get settlement of following 3,200 three thousand two hundred acres of lands situating at the following places -

(1) Along the roadsides of Longadu to Naniarchar road;

(2) Along the roadsides of Merung to Maini road

(3) 500 acres of land from Chibe Aga to Kathaltali

(4) 175 acres of land of Amtali and Gulshakhali mouzas under Longadu and Baghaichari upazila respectively

(5) Pablakhali area.

It is noted that without prior approval of the concerned Hill District Council (section 64 of its Act) settlement, lease, sale and transfer of any land is restricted. In this connection, the Land Ministry issued circular in 1989 and the MoCHTA in 1998. In addition, since 2003, MoCHTA issued a letter to stop settlement of land in CHT.

In spite of the above circular and letters about and settlement, on 27 January 2010 Md. Motahar Hossain, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) of Rangamati Hill District issued a letter to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Longadu upazila (sub-district) to send inquiry report on the matter of the application.

In the mean time, in September 2009 Bengali settlers affixed a signboard of Bangladesh Muktijuddha Punarbasan Society occupying reserve forest land of Pablakhali range under Baghaichari upazila. As continuation of this land grabbing, Bengali settlers occupied grove land and paddy land of indigenous villagers at this area and constructed around 500 makeshifts at Pablakhali in Baghaichari upazila.

Among others, the land of Rupantu Chakma (35), Amar Kanti Chakma (38) and Pritimoy Chakma (42) were forcibly occupied by Bengali settlers. Jumma villagers alleged that Bengali settlers destroyed crops of their farmlands. Bengali settlers ordered Jumma villagers to leave the area; otherwise severe consequences would have to be faced. Tension is has been prevailing in this area, particularly at Pablakhali area due to threatening of Bengali settlers. At least six Jumma villagers removed their children and aged to safe area.

On the other hand, it is learnt that all the leaders of the Bangladesh Muktijuddha Punarbasan Society are fake freedom fighters. In order to get sympathy and patronization from the administration as well as government, they themselves claimed as freedom fighter. It is also learnt that Bengali settlers included some Chakma as freedom fighter though they are also not freedom fighter.

On 12 March 2010 Chairman of Baghaichari upazila Mr. Sudarshan Chakma and Vice Chairman Diptiman Chakma, Upazila Nirbahi (Executive) Officer of Baghaichari upazila Basirul Haque Bhuiyan, Upazila Executive Officer of Langau upazila Khairul Rahman, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Baghaichari and Longadu police station Nayeem Uddin and Julfikar Mahammad Gajjali, Chairman of Khedarmara and Atarakchara union Sachitra Chakma and Mangal Kanti Chakma visited the spot. No leader of the Bangladesh Muktijuddha Punarbasan Society was present during that time. Those who were present at that time claimed that they are general member of the Society. But they failed to show certificate of freedom fighter. However, they claimed they were relatives of freedom fighters and landless poor.

As they occupied land illegally, the visiting team ordered the Bengali settlers to destroy the makeshifts and to vacate occupied lands within 15 days. Otherwise, action would be taken against them.

It is important to note here that the settlers occupied the lands with the secret support of the army authority of Bhangamura Army sub-zone camp under Langadu region and unless the army authority stops its patronization, the settlers must not dismantle the makeshifts. Rather they may set fire on them at any moment so that they can caim reief and rehabilitation for the advantage of their permanent settlement there.

Minority Hindu Girl Gang Raped

Source: The Daily Star News

Criminals gang-raped a schoolgirl at a remote village in Baufal upazila of Patuakhali district on Friday night.

Police arrested Basir, 25, and Hanif, 30, of Kaina village in the upazila for their alleged involvement in the crime.

A Class Nine student of Dharandi village under Patuakhali Sadar upazila went with her brother Shyamol Chandra to his father-in-law's house at Rajnagor village under Baufal upazila, police and locals said.

After passing several days there, the two siblings started for their house by a hired motorbike on Friday night. When they reached Dhauravanga area a gang of 8/10 criminals allegedly led by Forkan and Masun waylaid them. They assaulted Shyamol, tied his hands and legs, forcibly took the girl to a nearby field and raped her.

Hearing her scream, locals informed police who recovered her and to Baufal Upazila Health Complex.

Police arrested two of the alleged rapists while others managed to flee.

A case was filed with Baufal Police Station in this regard on Saturday.

20 injured as Bangalees, Santals clash

Source: The Daily Star News

At least 20 people were injured in a clash between indigenous people and Bangalees yesterday over a piece of land belonging to a Christian missionary establishment at Baldipukur in Mithapukur upazila.

Of the injured, 10 were rushed to Mithapukur upazila health complex and Rangpur Medical College Hospital. They include two leaders of local Santals-- Silvions and Bipin.

Twelve of the injured are Santals and the others are Bangalees.

Mithapukur police said the clash broke out as the authorities of St Mary's Christian Missionary establishment started constructing a boundary wall on a plot of land adjacent to Adibashi Primary School run by it and Shah Abul Kashem High School established on land donated by it.

At this, a number of Bangalees attacked Santals with lethal weapons and the latter made a counter-attack with bows and arrows.

Contacted, Leo Deshai, priest at St Mary's Church, alleged that president of the managing committee of the high school Habibur Rahman led the attack.

He claimed that on March 18, the upazila administration removed some business establishments from the land and handed it over to them as per a court order.

But Habibur Rahman said the school authorities wanted the land to remain open as a playground of the school.

"And when construction of boundary wall on the land started, local people opposed it. This enraged Santals and they attacked the locals with bows and arrows,” he claimed.

Later, Additional District Magistrate Ruhul Amin Khan and Mithapukur Upazila Parshad Chairman Zakir Hossain visited the spot and asked both the sides to maintain status quo concerning the land.

US report sees some improvement in HR situation in Bangladesh

Source: The Financial Express

Despite some improvement in the government's human rights record, there were slight increase in the number of extrajudicial killings by security forces, custodial deaths, arbitrary arrest and detention, and harassment of journalists in Bangladesh, according to a Human Rights Report 2009 released by U.S. Department of State Thursday.

With the return of an elected government, reports of politically motivated violence increased 3.3 per cent, said the report prepared by Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.

The failure to investigate fully extrajudicial killings by security forces, including the deaths in custody of alleged mutineers from the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) border force, remained a matter of serious concern, the report said.

Violence against women and children remained a serious problem, as did trafficking in persons. Violence against religious and ethnic minorities still occurred, although many government and civil society leaders stated that these acts often had political or economic motivations and could not be attributed only to religious belief or affiliation.

Members of the security forces committed numerous extrajudicial killings. The police, BDR, military, and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) occasionally used unwarranted lethal force.

According to government statistics, there was a 3 per cent increase in the number of killings by all security personnel, and the government did not take comprehensive measures to investigate these cases despite public statements by high-ranking officials that the government would show "zero tolerance" and would fully investigate all extrajudicial killings by security forces, the report added.

According to media reports, local and international human rights organizations, and the government, law enforcement officials were responsible for 154 deaths, 129 of which were attributed to crossfire.

There were hundreds of daily and weekly independent publications. Although there were significant improvements over the previous year, newspapers critical of the government experienced some government pressure.

Attacks on journalists continued to be a problem. There was an increase in individuals affiliated with the government or ruling party harassing, arresting, or assaulting journalists. According to Odhikar and media watchdog groups, at least three journalists were killed, 84 were injured, one was arrested, 45 were assaulted, 73 were threatened, and 23 had cases filed against them during the year. According to some journalists and human rights NGOs, journalists engaged in self-censorship for fear of retribution from the government.

The government generally respected this right in practice. Religion shaped the platforms of some political parties, but the government was sensitive to the religious sentiments of most citizens. Violence against religious and ethnic minorities was a problem occasionally.

Discrimination against members of religious minorities, such as Hindus, Christians, and Buddhists, existed at both the governmental and societal levels, and religious minorities were disadvantaged in practice in such areas as access to government jobs, political office, and justice. The secular AL government, however, appointed some members of the minority communities to senior government and diplomatic positions. In the new cabinet, three of the 38 ministers were non-Muslims.

On January 22, the country held elections to the newly created upazila parishads, or subdistrict councils, throughout the country. There were reports of violence, intimidation, vote rigging, and low voter turnout. The candidates backed by the ruling party won most of the upazila posts, although the election was not officially party based. The election commission organized repolling in a number of upazilas where elections were suspended due to violence.

According to Odhikar, there were 454 reported incidents of rape during the year, including 211 against women and 243 against children. According to human rights monitors, the actual number of rape cases was higher because many rape victims did not report the incidents due to social stigma. Prosecution of rapists was not consistent.

Green light to cut 4,000 trees

Submitted by: Kapaeeng Foundation
Source: The Daily Star News

Over 100 trees already chopped down after HC directive; ethnic people, environmentalists protest

A timber trader chopped down over 100 trees and destroyed two betel leaf enclosers at Kailin Punji near Nahar Tea Garden in Srimangal yesterday after the High Court gave the go-ahead to cut down 4,000 trees. Earlier, 1,200 trees were already felled in 2008.

The HC bench comprising Justice Md Mamtaz Uddin Ahmed and Justice Naima Haider in the go-ahead on February 22 allowed the garden owner to cut the trees.

Indigenous people of neighbouring Khasia Punjis (villages) and environmentalist group Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa) apprehend displacement of indigenous people from their ancestral homesteads, loss of traditional livelihood and environmental degradation as a consequence of the wholesale tree felling.

The Ministry of Environment and Forest dubiously issued a permit on June 30, 2008 in favour of Nahar Tea Garden in Moulvibazar allowing it to chop down a total of 4,000 trees in exchange for Tk 47.51 lakh as royalty to the public treasury.

Nahar Tea Garden, however, made a deal with M/s Salim Timber and Traders to sell the 4,000 trees in October, 2006, two years prior to obtaining the permit. The deal involved Tk 1.5 crore.

Following protests by the Khasia community and Bapa, forest ministry on October 19, 2008 suspended the permit.

Before the suspension, the contractor, however, had cut 1,200 trees and removed them with elephants. The court in its February 22 directive did not mention the number of trees already felled.

Interestingly, Sylhet Divisional Forest Officer Md Delwar Hossain issued a fresh permit on February 2 this year allowing the garden owner to cut down 2,350 trees and asked to spare 450, as those are located in the Khasia Punjis (1200+2350+450=4000).

Following a writ petition filed by the timber trader Salim Uddin Mohalder and Nahar Tea Garden Manager Pijush Kanti Bhattacharya, the court on February 22 directed the forest department authorities and local administration to allow the felling of trees as per the earlier work order.

In the Sylhet Divisional Forest Office permit, the garden owner was asked to pay the government an enhanced royalty of Tk 1.19 crore for the trees as per revised rate of forest goods.

The HC in its February 22 rule also asked authorities including environment and forest secretary to show on what legal grounds they had imposed the enhanced royalty and reduced the number of trees by 450 and stayed the permit for three weeks.

"The timber trader started cutting the trees around noon with the backing of several hundred musclemen," said father Joseph, a religious leader of the local Khasia community.

Environment and Forest Secretary Mihir Kanti Majumdar said he would take initiatives to file an appeal today against the HC directive that allowed the felling of trees.

As to why the ministry gave permission in the first place to wipe out as many as 4,000 trees, he said, "We shelved it for some time."

The then Sylhet Divisional Forest Officer Abdul Mabud in a letter to the Nahar Garden manager in August, 2008 said 3,754 of the total 4,000 trees grew naturally and the rest were planted. The trees had 87,174 cubic foot timber and 75,508 cubic foot of firewood.

The trees included Cham, Gamar, Gorjon, Jaam, Koroi, Bonak, Rongi, Shimul, Awal, Khami, Bolos, Lud, Belpoi, Dumur and others.

Khushi Kabir, chairman of Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD), said tree felling on this scale would adversely affect environment, life and livelihood of the local indigenous people. "Forest area in Bangladesh is already very low compared to requirement," she said.

Bapa General Secretary Md Abdul Matin referring to locals' estimate said even though the tea garden has a lease for 864 acres of land, it is on over 1,200 acres of land including 200 acres of Khasia community land.

The garden owner has been realising money by sub-leasing 100 acres of the leased-land in violation of the terms in Bangladesh Tea Management Directory, alleged Bapa Member Secretary Sharif Jamil.

The owner has realised a total of Tk 2 crore illegally in the form of land tax since 1984 from the Khasia communities, said Md Abdul Matin.

Deputy Commissioner of Moulvibazar Mofizul Islam said Khasia community is dependent on the trees for their livelihood by the betel leaf cultivation. He received no complaints about realising tax from the community, he said.

There are around 60 Khasia families in two Khaisa Punjis--Akilam Punji and Kailin Punji--in and around the garden.

The tea garden's manager Pijush Kanti said they needed to cut the trees to expand the garden by 60 acres every year. On realising tax from the Khasia, he said they do not do that anymore but the previous owner used to do it.

Government resumes initiative to conduct land survey in CHT violating CHT Accord

Source: PCJSS

Following the recent communal attack on Jumma villagers in Baghaihat and Khagrachari by Bengali settlers with the support of military forces, government of Bangladesh resumed initiative to conduct land survey in Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban hill district of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).

As part of this initiative, Land Ministry called an inter-ministerial meeting at the ministry in Dhaka on 11 March 2010 where Land Minister Md. Rezaul Karim Hira presided over. Land Ministry also invited a representative of CHT Regional Council (CHTRC). However, no representative from CHTRC attended the meeting. Hence the land ministry has failed to decide when the government would begin the land survey in the CHT intended to resolve ongoing disputes over land ownership. Land Minister, however, said he hoped these matters would be finalised at the next meeting in mid-April which was being held in one of the three districts of CHT.

CHTRC sent a letter to Land Ministry arguing that land survey would be contradictory to the CHT Accord if it is done before resolution of land disputes through land commission and rehabilitation of returnee refugees and IDPs as per CHT Acccord.

It is mentionable that the clause 2 of part D of the CHT Accord stipulates, “After the signing the Agreement between the Government and the Jana Samhati Samiti and implementation thereof and rehabilitation of the tribal refugees and internally displaced tribals, the Government shall, as soon as possible, commence, in consultation with the Regional Council to the constituted under this Agreement, the Land Survey in Chittagong Hill Tracts and finally determine the land-ownership of the tribal people through settling the land-disputes on proper verification and shall record theirs land and ensure their rights thereto.”

In violation of this provision the officials of the government have been all the time interested to have cadastral survey of lands in CHT with a view to providing land titles mainly to the Bengali settlers on the lands they forcibly occupied or illegally allotted by the government.

Land Commission issues public notice urging application on land disputes from affected land owners

On 14 March 2010 Secretary of CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission Md. Abdul Hamid issued public notice asking affected land owners to lodge application on land disputes with Land Commission. The notice said that application must be filed within 60 days; otherwise no application would be accepted.

Please find the attached notice of Land Commission (in Bangla) for kind information.

It is mentionable that this notice was issued without the decision of the Commission. Since after the appointment of present Chairman of CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission, the only meeting was held on 27 January 2010 in Khagrachari. The meeting was ended without taking any concrete decision.

It is mentionable that the CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission Act 2001 was passed by the then Awami League government. However 19 provisions contradictory to the CHT Accord were included in this Acts. These contradictory provisions are yet to be amended so far. Among others, the most importance contradictory provisions are as follows

§ Clause 4, Part D of the CHT Accord contains a provision for settling the disputes of those lands and hills, which have been so far illegally settled and occupied, in addition to settling land disputes of the rehabilitated Jumma refugees. But the Section 6 (1)(a) of the CHT Land (Dispute Settlement) Commission Act 2001 only speaks of the “settlement of the land-disputes of the rehabilitated Jumma refugees”. Consequently, all other land-disputes of the Jumma refugees repatriated from India under the 20-point package will remain unsettled.

§ Section 7(5) of the Act provides, “The Chairman, on the basis of discussion with other members present, shall take decision on consensus on the subjects and other related matters stated under Section 6(1). But if no consensus is reached, the decision of the Chairman alone shall be considered as the decision of the Commission”. This provision of the Act can easily turn other members of the Land Commission into rubber stamps. It will make the Commission an undemocratic institution by empowering its Chairman with a dictatorial power.

In order to amend the CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission Act 200, two meeting were held at Land Ministry on 26 August 2009 and 06 December 2009 respectively. But no concrete decision was taken these meetings. However, without amendment of this Act, government is trying to start resolution of land disputes. The land problem of CHT will be more complicated if the government starts resolution of land disputes without amendment of contradictory provisions of the Act. It means that the Government of Bangladesh is not yet prepared to amend the Land Commission Act and to resolve the land disputes at all.