By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/CALIFORNIA/PARIS: The newly established Global Association for Indigenous Peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (GAIPC) Monday called upon Dr Mohammed Yunus Government to make Inquiry Commission Report into attacks on indigenous peoples in the CHTs on 19-20 September 2024 public. In these attacks by the illegal plain settlers and Bangladesh Army, at least four indigenous persons i.e. Mr Dhana Ranjan Chakma, Mr Junan Chakma, Mr Rubel Tripura, and Mr Anik Chakma were killed, at least 75 indigenous Jumma people were seriously injured while at least 142 houses, shops and other business establishments, properties, Buddhist temples that were looted, destroyed or set ablaze.
On 26 September 2024, the Chittagong Divisional Commissioner formed a seven-member inquiry committee headed by Mr Mohammad Nurullah Noori to inquire and submit the report within the next 14 working days i.e. 10 October 2024. The inquiry commission visited the affected areas at Rangamati on 30 September 2024 and Larma Square Bazar, Dighinala 2 October 2024. The Committee stated that it would submit a report after finding the root cause of the recent violent incidents, making a list of the victims and informing the government of their losses and making recommendations to prevent recurrence of such violent incidents.
“All the indigenous peoples in the Chittagong Hill Tracts are non-Muslims, they mainly follow Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity and apart from their ethnic origin, they were targeted for their religious beliefs during the attacks on 19-20 September 2024. However, as on date, no public statement has been made regarding the status of the Inquiry Commission report of Mr Noori on this most vulnerable people in Bangladesh. This does not bode well for transparency, accountability and rehabilitation of the affected persons in these organised attacks.” – stated Mr Arunabha Chakma, Co-Convenor of the GAIPC based in the United States
“It is extremely unfortunate that the Interim Government is following the same footsteps of the previous dictatorial governments to provide impunity for the gross human rights violations against indigenous peoples of the CHTs by not making the inquiry commissions’ reports public. Then Government of Bangladesh had established a commission of inquiry led by Justice Sultan Hossain Khan (retired) into the Logang massacre of 10 April 1992 but as on date that report has not been made public.” – stated Samapti Chakma Borgne (Ms), a founding Member of the GAIPC based in France.
“The need to establish transparency and accountability with respect to such gross human rights violations cannot be stressed enough. The Interim Government led by Noble Laureate Dr Mohammed Yunus needs to show that it is different from the previous rest by making the inquiry Commission report into the attacks on indigenous peoples in the CHTs on 19-20 September 2024 public. If Dr Mohammed Yunus government does not make the recent inquiry commission report public, we shall be raising the issue with the United Nations and other international actors to expose hypocrisy of Dr Yunus.” – also stated Mr Suhas Chakma, Convenor of the GAIPC from India.
The GAIPCHT has been established following gross human rights violations on 19-20 September 2024 and it has established branches in the United States, Canada, France, Australia, United Kingdom, Switzerland, South Korea, Japan, China and India.
