Half-day hartal in Rangamati against army withdrawal

UNB, Rangamati

A half-day hartal was observed peacefully in Langadu upazila on Sunday in protest against the withdrawal of army camps from this hill district under the government plan for troop pullout from the CHT region.
There was no untoward incident reported during the shutdown jointly enforced by Bangalee Chhatra Parishad and Parbatya Chattagram Sama-Adhikar Andolan.
All shops and educational institutions in the upazila headquarters remained closed and launches, steamers and engine-driven boats were off the waterways.
Additional police were deployed to maintain law and order during the shutdown.
The government has decided to withdraw 21 army camps from here as part of implementation of the 1997 CHT Peace Treaty.
To date, nine temporary army camps have been withdrawn from here, sparking off tension among Bengali-speaking people who apprehend their security risks in the event of withdrawal of the security force from the hills.
Another UNB report from Khagrachhari said a temporary army camp at Baillachhari in Matiranga upazila was withdrawn at noon Sunday.
With this, a total of seven temporary security camps have been dismantled in this district as part of implementation of the CHT Peace Treaty. The government has decided to dismantle 13 temporary army camps in this hill district.
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 this September.
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.