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The supplementary petitioners apprehend that if the army is withdrawn, "the sovereignty of the country and security of the non-tribal Bangladeshi settlers living in the hill tracts would be threatened".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.

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Water experts want nat’l convention on Tipai Dam

UNB, Dhaka

Environment experts on Sunday urged the government to hold a national convention on India's proposed Tipaimukh Dam across the Sylhet border that will leave a perilous affect on Bangladesh.
Addressing a press conference they also demanded forming a national committee to work together on various aspects of the dam and take the decision how to ensure availability of waters of the common rivers.
New Work based International Farakka Committee (IFC), a trans-boundary water rights group, held the press conference at the National Press Club.
IFC chairman Atiqur Rahman Salu, former UN water expert Prof Dr SI Khan, former Vice Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University Prof Dr Jasim Uddin Ahmed, river law expert Prof Dr Asif Nazrul of Dhaka University and daily New Nation Editor Mustafa Kamal Majumder spoke at the press conference.
A six-member expert-committee was formed comprising Prof Dr M Adel Mia of Arkansas University of USA, Prof Dr Monirul Kader Mirza of Toronto University of Canada, Prof Dr Khalequzzaman of Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania of USA, Prof Dr SI Khan, Prof Dr Jasim Uddin Ahmed and Prof Dr Asif Nazrul of Dhaka University.
IFC chairman Atikur Rahman said the committee will discuss and exchange views with Awami League and BNP expert teams and, if necessary, assist both of them.
At the same time the IFC expert-team will monitor the activities of other national expert teams. It will also collect information on the river water rights and arsenic problems, he added.
Prof Asif Nazrul said earlier his name was included in the BNP-expert team but he refused to work under any political organization.
He was critical of Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakraborty for his objectionable remarks on water experts of Bangladesh.
On June 21, Pinak called the water experts who are dealing with the Tipaimukh Dam as 'so called experts' at a seminar in presence of Foreign Minister Dipu Moni.

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