Writs filed in HC to ban CHT army pullout
Monday, 10 August 2009
A Jamaat-e-Islami man and a lawyer Sunday filed two writ petitions seeking a High Court (HC) ban on the ongoing single largest army pullout from the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) since a peace accord was signed in 1997, report bdnews24.com and UNB.
The petitions argued that the withdrawal of troops will put under threat the lives of Bengalees living in the CHT region, dominated by the indigenous people.
Jamaat leader Barrister Abdur Razzak moved the petitions for Advocate Tajul Islam and Jamaat supporter Badiuzzaman with the bench of justices Syed Refaat Ahmed and Moinul Islam.
Petitioner Islam said, "Army withdrawal will encourage Chakma dominance over the region. It will make our (previous) writ petitions ineffective. So I filed this writ petition against the army withdrawal."
The court is set to hear the appeals on Aug 16.
The writ appeals also stated that Advocate Islam had filed another writ petition in 2007, challenging the legitimacy of CHT peace accord and its implementation. The court had issued a rule on that on Aug 27.
The writ is now in the court's business agenda, but the withdrawal from the CHT will make that petition ineffective.
The court was also told that it had issued a rule, following another petition filed by Bodiuzzaman in 2000, asking the government why the acts of CHT peace accord were not illegal. The army withdrawal will also make the writ petition ineffective.
The government on Friday started "the biggest withdrawal" of army from CHT in line with an announcement on July 29 of withdrawal of one complete brigade, from the total five brigades deployed in the hill districts.
The withdrawal, part of the process to resume implementation of the peace accord, would be completed by the end of the next month. Four camps under Khagrachhari and Guimara have been withdrawn.
There are five brigades and five camps in the three CHT districts of Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban.
Jamaat's key ally BNP has claimed that the withdrawal of army camps will destabilise the CHT region. Former BNP law minister Moudud Ahmed last week said the partial army withdrawal was designed to clear "non-indigenous residents" from the area.
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.
The petitions argued that the withdrawal of troops will put under threat the lives of Bengalees living in the CHT region, dominated by the indigenous people.
Jamaat leader Barrister Abdur Razzak moved the petitions for Advocate Tajul Islam and Jamaat supporter Badiuzzaman with the bench of justices Syed Refaat Ahmed and Moinul Islam.
Petitioner Islam said, "Army withdrawal will encourage Chakma dominance over the region. It will make our (previous) writ petitions ineffective. So I filed this writ petition against the army withdrawal."
The court is set to hear the appeals on Aug 16.
The writ appeals also stated that Advocate Islam had filed another writ petition in 2007, challenging the legitimacy of CHT peace accord and its implementation. The court had issued a rule on that on Aug 27.
The writ is now in the court's business agenda, but the withdrawal from the CHT will make that petition ineffective.
The court was also told that it had issued a rule, following another petition filed by Bodiuzzaman in 2000, asking the government why the acts of CHT peace accord were not illegal. The army withdrawal will also make the writ petition ineffective.
The government on Friday started "the biggest withdrawal" of army from CHT in line with an announcement on July 29 of withdrawal of one complete brigade, from the total five brigades deployed in the hill districts.
The withdrawal, part of the process to resume implementation of the peace accord, would be completed by the end of the next month. Four camps under Khagrachhari and Guimara have been withdrawn.
There are five brigades and five camps in the three CHT districts of Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban.
Jamaat's key ally BNP has claimed that the withdrawal of army camps will destabilise the CHT region. Former BNP law minister Moudud Ahmed last week said the partial army withdrawal was designed to clear "non-indigenous residents" from the area.
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.