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Published : 14 Nov 2025, 12:00 AM
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman has questioned why the Bangladesh Army, which has served in peacekeeping missions in at least 10 countries, is not “establishing peace” in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Speaking at a discussion in Dhaka on Thursday, he said: “Over the past 40 years, you have successfully worked in peacekeeping missions in 10 countries. If you can help establish peace around the world, why not in the Chittagong Hill Tracts?”
He added that if the Army has the will, it can assist in implementing the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord without waiting for the government’s instructions.
The discussion, titled “Human Rights Violations and the Culture of Impunity in the Chittagong Hill Tracts”, was organised by the “Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord Realisations Movement” at the Dhaka Reporters Unity.
Iftekharuzzaman said, “As a nation, we have failed to learn from history. Majoritarianism can be self-destructive: Pakistan realised that during the Liberation War. We often treat those who are not part of the majority as second-class citizens. We must learn from the history of our Liberation War.”
He welcomed the removal of the Constitutional provision that “the people of Bangladesh shall be known as Bengalis” from the proposed July Charter, describing it as an optimistic change.
The draft now defines Bangladesh as “a multi-ethnic and multicultural country where all communities shall be able to exercise their rights”.
Shireen Huq, chief of the Women's Affairs Reform Commission and founding member of Naripokkho, said: “Labeling any community as a ‘minority’ diminishes their rights and human dignity. Yet, the Constitution guarantees equal rights and human dignity for every citizen.”
She added that the Chittagong Hill Tracts have been “isolated through militarisation and intelligence operations”.
“Militarisation and border security are two different matters. A strong force is needed for border protection, but it must not interfere in the everyday lives of hill communities,” she said.
Referring to the unresolved disappearance of Kalpana Chakma and the imprisonment of several men and women from the Bawm community, Shireen called for proper documentation of all human rights violations in the region, including enforced disappearances, killings, abductions, and sexual violence.
