Md Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and Opposition Chief Whip, said there is currently no representation from the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in the cabinet.
Speaking as the chief guest at a discussion titled “July in the Hills: Equal Status, Coexistence and Harmony” at the Chattogram Press Club auditorium, he noted that despite the government holding a two-thirds majority, there is no representative from the region in the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs.
“Dipen Dewan has been removed. I do not know when this has happened before in the history of Bangladesh,” he said. He attributed this decision to a lack of government accountability and urged for voices to rise from the hills to ensure the implementation of the ‘July Charter’.
Addressing the ongoing crisis in the region, the opposition chief whip emphasised that while his party is uncompromising on the question of national sovereignty, they firmly support equal civil rights for all.
He called for an end to the long-standing deprivation in the hills and stressed the need to resolve specific issues such as local extortion and terrorism.
“Accountability must be ensured everywhere, from the hills to the plains,” he added.
Nahid Islam described the socio-political and economic landscape of the hills as complex, requiring a political rather than a military solution. He remarked that ethnic groups and Bengalis alike suffer from various forms of deprivation, and that external forces often exploit these internal divisions.
“Our job is to recognise that we are all Bangladeshi. If the country is developed and resources are distributed equitably, everyone will benefit,” he said.
He further urged political parties to take responsibility and seek solutions through dialogue, rather than relying on military approaches, to bring hill communities into the mainstream.
Criticising the 1972 Constitution, Nahid Islam claimed it has divided the country since its inception along communal, religious, and social lines. He called for these divisions to be overcome in favour of national interest and economic development.
Regarding the upcoming local government elections, he announced that the NCP would have representation across the country, with a special focus on the hill tracts. He expressed hope that, after 50 years, the region would finally see a new generation of young representatives.
Organised by the NCP units of the three hill districts, the meeting was also addressed by NCP political board members Sarwar Tushar and Ali Ahsan Junaid, Chattogram divisional organising secretary SM Suja Uddin, and various representatives of the hill communities.
