Tourism businesses in Sunamganj are bouncing back gradually after suffering significant losses for over two months due to three rounds of flood and political instability. Restrictions in several tourist areas of the Chittagong Hill Tracts redirected tourists to Sunamganj’s famed Haor region, including Tanguar Haor and the Tahirpur border areas, providing a much-needed boost to local businesses. Houseboat owners said they suffered losses amounting to around Tk 50 crore during this period. Tour operators said they are now facing overwhelming demand, with all houseboats fully booked in advance. Travel ban hits tourism businesses in CHT hard Popular tourist destinations like Tanguar Haor, Shaheed Siraj Lake (Niladri), Shimul Garden, and the Jadukata River are now filled with visitors. Aziz Sarkar, a banker from Rajshahi, expressed his amazement after exploring the region for the first time. “The Tanguar Haor has amazed us greatly. We are overjoyed. We have never seen such large haor before. The diversity of the haor, especially the settlements on its shores, and how they survive and live, has left a mark on our minds,” said Aziz, who came with a group of 36 people, most of whom are bank employees. Tourist Mahbuba Rahman Sathi, a tourist from Dhaka, said, “We had been planning to visit Tanguar Haor for a long time. The weather is good now, so we came. Our group consists of 12 family members. Sylhet is always beautiful, but the haor is even more beautiful. We’ve been touring in a houseboat since morning. It feels great.” However, the region’s poor road infrastructures are challenge for visitors, said some tourists. Moulvibazar Travel Guide: Explore the Top Tourist Attractions “The road from Sunamganj to Tahirpur is in bad shape. Women and children, in particular, had a hard time getting here. These things stand as obstacles to the development of tourist areas,” said Manjurul Islam Soumik from Feni. He also raised concerns about the lack of visible tourist police and disconnected phone numbers listed on safety sign boards. Responding to these complaints, Habibur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of the Tourist Police in Sunamganj, explained that his mobile phone had been out of service due to damage but is now operational. “We have 8 members. The tourist police are working round the clock to ensure the safety of tourists,” he said. Arian Emon, CEO of Haimanti Houseboat, said, “We have incurred losses of around Tk 50 crore in the past two months. Currently, due to the restrictions in Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari tourists are coming to the Haor. All our boats are fully booked. Many are still trying to book. There’s now a festive atmosphere in the Haor,” he said. Trip to Tanguar Haor, Sunamganj: Majestic aquatic beauty soaking the horizon

Participatory election, overall election process and Chittagong Hill Tracts issues were briefly discussed at a meeting over lunch with US Assistant Secretary of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu held at Foreign Service Academy on Sunday. Awami League International Affairs Secretary Dr. Shammi Ahmed, Prof. Imtiaz Ahmed, Dr. Lailufar Yasmin, Dr. Delwar Hossain and Chief Executive of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) Syeda Rizwana Hasan, among others, were present. “They (US side) said, we don’t speak on behalf of any political party; we talk about certain processes and the rights of the people,” said Syeda Rizwana while talking to the reporters after the meeting. She said only participation of the BNP and other parties and the election process were discussed and there was no further discussion on any other aspects of the election scenario in Bangladesh. Also Read: Rab made ‘tremendous progress’ in ‘respecting rights’ while performing duties: Donald Lu observes She mentioned that no BNP leader was present at the meeting. According to a meeting source, two of the participants expressed optimism about the BNP’s participation in the next election.  “There was no conclusive discussion about human rights issues, but the Chittagong Hill Tracts issue was discussed during the meeting,” said Syeda Rizwana in response to another question. The US senior official is visiting Bangladesh to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relationships, expand economic engagement, and go over the labor and human rights situation. Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen hosted the lunch in honour of Donald Lu and his delegation members.    

The 25th anniversary of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord will be observed on Friday. Different programmes have been arranged in the three hilly districts, marking the anniversary of the peace treaty. Read more: 25 Years of CHT Peace Accord: Eminent citizens say expectation remains unfulfilled President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday issued separate messages marking the completion of 25 years of the significant treaty. President Abdul Hamid in his massage said Chittagong Hill Tracts is rich with natural resources and a place of potentials. The Peace Accord is speeding up the socio-economic and cultural development of Chittagong Hill Tracts, he said. He urged all to work unitedly for the development of the hill region. In her message, the Prime Minister said the Awami League government has been working tirelessly for the overall development of the hilly region in the light of the peace treaty. Various schemes are being implemented for the development of all sectors including education, health, electricity, communication, infrastructure and mobile network in the region, she added.  “We are committed to maintain peace all over the country including Chittagong Hill Tracts,” said the PM. “I hope we will be able to build a peaceful, happy Sonar Bangladesh as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman through the socio-economic development of the Hill Tracts people with united efforts of all.” Read more: PM is very sincere to CHT people: Ushwe Sing She sought cooperation from all to fully implement the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord. On December 2, 1997, Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) signed the peace deal with the then Awami League government, led by Sheikh Hasina. Then Jatiya Sangsad Chief Whip Abul Hasnat Abdullah signed the agreement on behalf of the government while Joritindra Bodhipriyo Larma (Santu Larma) on behalf of PCJSS.

Prominent citizens of the country have demanded full implementation of all the commitments in line with the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord by removing all obstacles, noting that expectation still remains unfulfilled. On December 2, 1997, the government of Bangladesh and Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti signed this historic agreement in an effort to find a political solution to the problems in the CHT. Forty-one eminent citizens placed an eight-point demand mentioning that the implementation of the peace accord has not advanced as anticipated. “It is a matter of great regret that in the 25 years of the agreement, no progress has been made as expected in the implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts agreement though several clauses of the agreement have been implemented,” reads a joint statement signed by Shamsul Huda, Executive Director of Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD). Read more: Celebrating the Peace Accord in Hill Tracts In particular, the eminent citizens said that it is very sad that no effective initiative has been taken to advance the process of implementing the agreement though the Awami League government that signed the agreement has been in power for the third consecutive term. “We are deeply concerned about the ineffectiveness and inaction of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Land Commission. Recently, their regular meetings had to be adjourned several times due to interference from vested interests. The silence of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs or the government in this regard is very sad,” they said in the statement. Specific demands from the civil society include full implementation of all commitments proposed in the agreement, necessary budget, manpower and visible support of the highest level of government for the proper functioning of the land dispute resolution commission. Rights activist Sultana Kamal, ALRD Chairperson and Nijera Kori Coordinator Khushi Kabir, eminent economist and researcher Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Research Initiative Bangladesh (RIB) Executive Director Dr Meghna Guhathakurta, General Secretary of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad Rana Dasgupta, Executive Director of TIB Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Dr. Abul Barkat, Prof Mesbah Kamal and Shaheen Anam are among the 41 signatories of the statement. Read more: CHT Peace Treaty: A chase of an illusion! Recently, a high-level delegation of the United Nations in Bangladesh and key development partners visited the Chittagong Hill Tracts to see first-hand the development initiatives in the area. The week-long visit from November 13 to November 17 covered the hill districts of Khagrachhari and Rangamati. The delegation included UN Resident Coordinator Gwyn Lewis, EU Ambassador Charles Whiteley, UK High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson and Norway Ambassador Espen Rikter-Svendsen. UNDP Resident Representative Stefan Liller, UNFPA Country Representative Kristine Blokhus, FAO Country Representative Robert Simpson and UNICEF Country Representative Sheldon Yett were also in the delegation. Read More: 25th anniversary of CHT Peace Treaty on Friday UN Resident Coordinator Gwyn Lewis said development work in the Chittagong Hill Tracts has been hugely successful, but lack of access and remoteness of many communities remains an ongoing challenge. "The indigenous communities in the CHT have led impressive efforts to preserve and rehabilitate forests and their natural habitat. Climate change has made their work even more vital,” Lewis said on Thursday. Lewis also said that the visit provided her with a scope to familiarise herself with the region, listen to the concerns of women and adolescents and visit a range of different programmes. “UN and Partners’ support in CHT must be inclusive and in line with Agenda 2030’s promise of leaving no one behind to achieve a concerted, effective and sustainable development of the Chittagong Hill Tracts,” she added. Read More: Issues in implementing CHT Peace Accord should be identified, resolved: Bir Bahadur

The traditional outfit of Bangladesh’s largest ethnic minority group, the Chakma, is known as ‘Pinon Hadi’.   The upper part of the outfit is called Hadi, a piece of fabric worn diagonally across the body over the shoulder.

The 24th anniversary of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord was observed in the three hilly districts on Thursday. A colourful rally, arranged by 11 ethnic groups in Bandarbans, was brought out from the local Jila Parishad office premises in the morning, following a discussion on the CHT treaty. Brigadier General Md Ziaul Haque, Commander of the 69th Infantry Brigade, inaugurated the event in Bandarbans. Read:CHT Peace Treaty: A chase of an illusion! Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wednesday issued separate messages, marking the completion of 24 years of the treaty.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Affairs Ministry on Tuesday recommended recruiting teachers  in 1,585 vacant posts in the primary schools in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) areas. It also suggested nationalising 142 primary schools under special consideration in the CHT areas under a project that was taken to establish 1000 primary schools in the villages where there is no school. The parliamentary standing committee came up with the recommendations at its 9th meeting held in the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Bhaban with its chairman Alhaj Md Dabirul Islam in the chair. The parliamentary watchdog also asked the government to shift the responsibility of recruiting Doptori (employee) of primary schools to District Councils from the District Administrators (Deputy Commissioners) as per the rules and policy formulated in line with the CHT Peace Accord. Read: Cabinet body okays proposal for setting up 42,500 solar systems in 3 hill districts In the meeting, it was said that a total of 1048 head teachers and 6789 assistant teachers are teaching in the primary schools in three CHT districts. Committee members CHT Affairs Minister Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing (Bandarban), Dipankar Talukdar (Rangamati), A.B.M. Fazle Karim Chowdhury (Chattogram-6), Kujendra Lal Tripura, Mir Mushtaque Ahmed Robi (Satkhira-2) and Basanti Chakma (Women Seat-9) attended the meeting. The CHT Affairs Secretary and other officials from the ministry and the parliament secretariat were present at the meeting, said a Jatiya Sangsad handout.

The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord, which ended the decades-long conflict between the Bangladeshi armed forces and Shanti Bahini, was signed in December 1997. One of the major conditions of the historic peace deal inked between the Bangladeshi government and Jana Sanghati Samiti was to develop the three hill districts -- Khagrachhari, Bandarban and Rangamati -- as tourism hubs. More than 23 years on, this condition still remains unfulfilled -- as vested interests are apparently obstructing its implementation. Also read: Covid-19 casts gloom on tourism in Rangamati, Bandarban In fact, as part of the move to develop the region, construction work on a proposed five-star resort, 'Marriott Hotel and Amusement Park', in Chandra Pahar — formerly the Naitong hung (hill) — in Bandarban’s Chimbuk area has started. But UNB has learnt that some groups are trying to derail the project by spreading rumours on social media. In 2015, the Bandarban Hill District Council (BHDC) gave on lease some 20 acres of land in Chandra Pahar for the resort project, and a temporary check post was also set up that year only to ensure security in the area. Read Best Resorts near Dhaka for Day out or Weekend Away While the Chandra Pahar resort project has been conceptualised keeping in mind the environmental factors, few local groups -- JSS(M) and PCP (Pahari Chhatra Parishad) --  claim that around 800-1,000 acres of land will eventually be grabbed for its construction. And this could, in turn, displace over 10,000 residents of nearby villages. From taking to social media to holding periodic protest rallies, these groups have been misleading local residents since construction of the five-star facility began in June 2020, after approval of the project's layout by the government.  Read Best Khagrachhari Tourist Spots to Explore in Your Vacation However, a reality check by UNB has revealed that the area closest to the project site is Dholapara, some 1.3 km (aerial distance) away. Project manager Sirajul Islam said that the distance from the resort site to Kalaipara and Erapara of Mro community is 5km, and that of Kaprupara and Dolapara is 3.5km and 2.5km, respectively. "So there will be no acquisition of land belonging to the local ethnic groups or any loss to their villages," he said. Also read: Reopening plan raises hope for Cox's Bazar tourism The vested groups have also spread rumours that local farmers will lose jhum cultivable land due to the project. "This is absolutely not correct. They can very well continue with jhum (or shifting) cultivation," Sirajul said. Besides, BHDC has allotted nearly three acres of land to each Mro family for cultivating mixed fruits.

The signing of a peace deal between PCJSS and the then Awami League government in 1997 did not mean anything only for the CHT region. It was, in fact, more than that.

The 23rd anniversary of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord will be observed on Wednesday.