Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) calls for office boycott in three hill districts of CHT on 21 October 2015 as part of the non-cooperation movement in demand of implementation of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Accord signed in 1997 between the government of Bangladesh and the PCJSS.
PCJSS opined that the Non-Cooperation Movement of Jumma people led by the PCJSS aimed at advancing the implementation process of CHT Accord while resisting and preventing the anti-accord and anti-Jumma-interest designs of the government is proceeding ahead successfully. In the meanwhile, in demand of implementation of the Accord, the programs, such as demonstrations, boycotting markets, black-flag procession, class boycott and student strike, student-youth demonstration, symbolic hunger strike, submission of the memorandum, etc. have been organized successfully in spontaneous support and participation of the people. But despite being so, the government has been showing indifference continuously in implementing the CHT Accord while maintaining its fascist role.
Under the circumstances as such, the PCJSS has undertaken the ‘Office Boycott Program’ applicable to all kinds of offices in the three hill districts of CHT on Wednesday, 21 October 2015 as a part of Non-Cooperation Movement. On the very day, PCJSS calls boycott all kinds of government, non-government and semi-government offices, courts, bank-insurance-NGO-local body offices of district-upazila-union levels. It urges mass people to abstain from going to offices and all kinds of official work and to make the offices disabled and inactive by the wide-ranging boycott. It also pleas to strengthen the Non-Cooperation Movement by pacing forward to join the office boycott program and above all, to play a strong role in advancing the implementation process of CHT Accord and in resisting and preventing the government anti-accord and anti-Jumma-interest programs.
PCJSS reiterates its stance saying that the security, interests, and rights of the permanent residents of Jumma and Bengali people cannot be ensured without proper, speedy and fullest implementation of CHT Accord. Hence, It calls all walk of life to come up, to join the Non-Cooperation Movement spontaneously to play an active role and to make the government implement the CHT Accord.
It is to be noted that though it passes almost 18 years after signing the Accord, among the core issues of the Accord that have left unimplemented as yet are preservation of Jumma-inhabited feature of CHT region; making the CHT Regional Council Act and Hill District Council Act(s) effective; devolvement of subjects namely, law & order, land & land management, forest & environment, local police, etc. to the Hill District Councils and holding of elections in these Councils; having amended the contravening sections contained in CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission Act 2001; resolution of land disputes of CHT; returning back of the occupied lands to the internally displaced Jumma refugees and India-returnee Jumma refugees and rehabilitation in their respective lands; withdrawal of all the temporary camps including ‘Operation Uttoran’ from CHT; cancellation of leases of lands given to the outsiders; appointment of the permanent residents of CHT giving priority to Jummas in all jobs available in the three hill districts; bringing amendment to all the concerned laws including the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regulation 1900; relocation of the Bengali settlers outside CHT with dignity and honor, etc.
It is of highly concern that despite the pressing demand at home and in abroad including that of the Jumma people of all walks of life, the government still continues to show utter indifference and inactiveness in implementing the core issues of the CHT Accord. On the contrary, an ill-effort has been being carried out on part of the government to confuse the public opinion by uttering words: ‘the Accord is being implemented’ or ‘the government is sincere in implementing the Accord,’ ‘80% of the Accord has been implemented’ or sometimes stating ‘90% of the Accord will be implemented during tenure of this government,’ etc. The one, among other unimplemented issues of the Accord, is to resolve the land disputes of CHT. In order to resolve the land disputes in CHT properly and speedily, despite the unanimous adoption of the resolution to amend the CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission Act 2001 based on 13-point amendment proposal, the government has been passing the time for no reason. On the other hand, the government has continuously been implementing the anti-accord and anti-Jumma-interest programs. Despite tough opposition, the government has been carrying out the conspiracy of implementing the Rangamati Science & Technology University and Medical College projects by coercion using its muscle power. Contrary to the public opinion, the undemocratic and party-line staffing practice has been strengthened by increasing the number of members of interim Hill District Councils from 5 to 15. The education system in CHT is being pushed into extreme crisis by appointing primary school teachers through the utmost exercise of corruption, irregularities and party-line staffing by the three Hill District Councils. Tourism Centers are being established under army authority in the Mouza and Jum lands of the Jumma people by way of trampling down the traditional land rights of the Jumma people. The Jumma peoples are being evicted from their ancestral villages through the process leasing out of hundred acres of lands given to the influential persons of outsiders and declaration of Reserve Forests immethodically. Despite protest at home and in abroad, the imposition of restrictions on traveling of foreigners and meeting of foreign/domestic organizations with the Jumma people, including the transfer of Jumma police members to the plains from CHT, the government is implementing its anti-accord and racial directives of the Home Ministry.