28 years of the CHT peace accord today

Today, December 2, marks the 28th anniversary of the historic Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) peace accord. On this day in 1997, the then Awami League government signed the accord with the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS), known as JSS, to end the ongoing conflict in the hills.

The agreement was signed on December 2 1997, aiming to end decades of deadly armed conflict and establish lasting peace and stability. However, key provisions of the accord, including resolving land disputes, remain unimplemented. As a result, tensions, mistrust and conflict continue in the hills. In this context, demands have been raised to repeal or constitutionally review the accord since parts of it contradict the constitution.

Following the accord, more than 250 camps of the army and other security forces were withdrawn from the region. However, six new armed groups have since emerged, engaging in extortion, abduction and killings. Rivalry among six hill groups has also escalated.

Experts say 13,000 square miles of unprotected border across the three hill districts have enabled armed groups to traffic weapons and operate from across the Indian border. They emphasise restoring army camps, recovering illegal weapons and tightening security at the border.

Meanwhile, the government, the JSS and local Bangalis remain at odds over the accord. Mutual accusations persist even after nearly three decades.

In a statement marking the anniversary, the JSS said five political governments and two caretaker governments came to power after the accord, yet none showed political will to implement it. As a result, two-thirds of the clauses, including core provisions, remain unimplemented even after 28 years.

Unimplemented clauses include: legal and administrative measures to preserve the characteristics of the indigenous-inhabited region; transferring administrative authority to the regional council and three district councils; preparing voter lists and holding council elections; forming a hill police force with permanent residents; resolving land disputes through the land commission and returning dispossessed land to Jumma people.

The statement added that the current interim government appointed Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain as convener of the implementation and monitoring committee, while retired Appellate Division justice Muhammad Abdul Hafiz was appointed chairman of the land dispute resolution commission. Only one meeting of the monitoring committee has taken place in five months, with no visible progress in implementing decisions.

Intumoni Talukder, general secretary of the CHT branch of the Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum, said land remains the central problem. More than 100,000 internally displaced people and returnee refugees from India have not received their land back and cannot return home.

JSS vice-president and former MP Ushatan Talukder said the next elected government must approach the issue with sincerity and ensure full implementation of the accord.

On Monday, December 1, the Chittagong Hill Tracts Citizens’ Council placed several demands at a press conference. These include repealing the constitutionally contradictory accord or reviewing and amending it, ensuring equal political, economic and land rights for all residents, eliminating armed groups by seizing illegal weapons, and restoring all withdrawn security camps in the interest of national security.

Separately, the CHT Peace Accord Implementation Movement placed three demands in a press conference at the National Press Club, including prioritising the accord in election manifestos, organising a national dialogue on implementation, and announcing a clear roadmap with visible actions.

Political analysts believe that lack of political will, mistrust between Bangali settlers and indigenous communities, and unresolved land disputes remain the biggest barriers to peace. Internal conflict among hill groups and the rise of new armed organisations have further complicated the situation. Experts say fully restoring peace requires activating the land commission, empowering local institutions and rebuilding trust among all stakeholders.