Renewed protest again blocks BDR camp withdrawal

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KHAGRACHHARI, Aug 13 (UNB): Renewed protests by local people blocked government's latest move Thursday to withdraw Chhoto Panchhari BDR camp at Panchhari Upazila as part of phased troops pullout from Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Local sources said around 200 protesters put barricades on the Fatemanagar-Panchhari highway in the morning by felling trees to prevent the authorities from dismantling 'the important border outpost' in the backwoods of the hill district.
Earlier, the authorities had tried to withdraw the camp manned by 22 BDR members since August 9 but failed in the face of strong protests by the Bangali settlers.
At last, the authorities scheduled Thursday for withdrawing the camp, but it could not be done until 3:00 pm because of the blockade.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abdul Khaleque said they assured the local people that a police camp would be set up in the frontier area in defence of their security, 'if necessary'.
The present government started withdrawing the army camps from the district last Friday (August 7) as per terms of the CHT peace accord.
So far, four army camps have been withdrawn from this hill district, most troubled by protracted tribal insurgency until the truce was struck on December 2, 1997.
The government announ-ced its decision on July 29 to withdraw one brigade of troops and 35 temporary security camps from the CHT region by September.
On December 2, 1997, the government of the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina signed the peace treaty with PCJSS leader Jyotirindra Bodhipriyo Larma alias Shantu Larma putting an end to over two decades of bloodletting bush war for self-rule.
The accord also brought back refugees from camps in the northeastern Indian state of Tripura.