HC asks govt to stop army pullout from CHT

Embargo lasts until hearing on writ against peace treaty resumes on August 19

UNB, Dhaka

The High Court on Sunday asked the government to stop the ongoing army pullout from Chittagong Hill Tracts until the hearing on the pending duo-writ petitions challenging the validity of the 1997 CHT peace treaty resumes on August 19.
A division bench comprising Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury passed the interim order of stay as Attorney-General Mahbubey Alam prayed for a weeklong adjournment after an exhaustive arguments and counter-arguments by both sides over the matter, court sources said.
On August 9, two separate supplementary applications over the pending writ petitions were filed seeking injunction against the troop pullout from the Chittagong Hill Tracts region under a recent government decision taken for implementing the CHT peace treaty.
The supplementary petitioners apprehend that if the army is withdrawn, "the sovereignty of the country and security of the non-tribal Bangladeshi settlers living in the hill tracts would be threatened".
On August 7, the formal pullout started with the closedown of two camps in Khagrachhari and Rangamati hill districts.
The present government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on July 29 announced its decision to withdraw one full brigade of troops and 35 temporary security camps from the CHT region by this September, as part of the latest move for implementing the peace accord.
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 across the border.
Barrister Abdur Razzaq and Barrister Moudud Ahmed appeared for the writ petitioners-Jamaat-e-Islami activists M Tajul Islam and Badiuzzaman.