Withdraw Bangalees from hill districts - PCJSS memo to PM

Daily Star, Dhaka, Bangladesh Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Withdraw Bangalees from hill districts - PCJSS memo to PM
The Parbattya Chattagram Jana Sanghity Samity (PCJSS) submitted a memorandum to the prime minister to press their three-point demand including 'withdrawal of Bangalee outsiders from lands of indigenous people. The two other demands are an end to 'harassment and filing of cases' against indigenous people and steps to activate the land commission as early as possible.
The memorandum was handed over to Khagrachhari Deputy Commissioner Humayun Kabir.
It contained signatures of at least 413 indigenous leaders, headman and local elite.
The memorandum alleged that existence of indigenous communities are threatened as Bangalees have grabbed their lands in different areas of the district. It also specified the areas.
"We submitted the memorandum to the prime minister to protect indigenous communities", said PCJSS Information and Publisher Secretary Buddah Kingkor Chakma.