Rangamati, Dec 21, (V7N) - In the aftermath of the so-called peace agreement in the hill districts, the Bengali community residing in the Chittagong Hill Tracts has been relegated to second-class citizens. Despite facing severe discrimination and various challenges, the Bengalis in the hills have set an example of peaceful coexistence, according to prominent figures.
 
During an exchange of views on the topic “Discrimination, Crisis, and Solutions in the Chittagong Hill Tracts”, experts from the region stated that since the country's independence, the Bengali community in the hills has been systematically marginalized. The peace agreement, they said, has further degraded the status of Bengalis in the region, turning them into second-class citizens in their own land. Despite being first-class citizens of Bangladesh, the peace agreement has resulted in the Bengali community being deprived of equal rights.
 
During the exchange, the speakers emphasized, “How long will the Bengali people in the hills continue to be deprived?” They noted that while discrimination against many groups in the country has been addressed since the fall of the autocratic government on August 5, due to the student-led anti-discrimination movement, the Bengali community in the hill districts still suffers from discrimination.
 
The time has come to eliminate discrimination against the Bengali community in the hills, the experts asserted. They called for the abolition of the 1900s-era specialized Hill Tracts Manual law and for the implementation of the national legal framework for governing the Chittagong Hill Tracts. They also demanded equal rights for all communities, both indigenous and Bengali, in the region.
 
The exchange of views was held on Saturday in the Chamber of Commerce Conference Room in Rangamati. Advocate Yakub Ali Chowdhury was the chief guest at the event, which was presided over by Peyar Ahmad Khan. Other speakers included senior lawyer and former president of the Rangamati District Lawyers Association, Advocate Mokhtar Ahmad; Advisor of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Students Council, Atikul Islam; Advocate Shahidullah; Advocate Masum; leader of the anti-discrimination student movement, Abdul Ahad; former president of the Bandarban District Chittagong Bengali Students Council, HM Samrat; Secretary of Islami Chhatra Shibir, Rangamati Branch, Robiul Islam; Secretary of the Chittagong Bengali Students Council, Advocate Rahmat Ullah; Secretary of the Rangamati National Imam Association, Mahtab Uddin; and President of the Bengali Students Council, Shadekur Rahman, along with leaders from various political and social organizations.
 
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