Abstract:
This paper is a case study of Chakma refugees/returnees in Bangladesh.
It briefly traces the origin of crisis of Chakmas in the pre-Bangladesh
period, how they have become IDPs and later on refugees and their plight
and experiences in various refugee camps in India for a couple of
decades and their repatriation processes. There is particular analysis of
the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord of 1997 which brought an end to
the decades old insurgency in the CHTs within the framework of the
Constitution. The accord is expected to reverse the disturb condition,
insurgencies and serious human right violation in the CHTs and is
supposed to assure hill peoples that their human rights would be
protected. The paper analyses the issues and provisions of the Accord
and its implementation status at length. It also looks beyond the Accord
and study the anti-Accord activities, human rights violations and various
development activities taken by the Bangladesh government and the
present situation and if the Accord has brought any positive change in
the sovereignty of the CHTs in particular and in the country as a whole.
The paper concludes that the CHTs Peace Accord which most important
aspect relates to measures for creating peace and security in the CHTs
and which was believed to be a turning point for the Chakma refugees
brought only ray of hopes which is fading away as each day passes as
the provisions of the Accord have not been effectively implemented or
partially implemented even after a decade of signing of the Accord.
