Shillong, Sep 20: Indian Chakma leaders on Friday submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him not to hold any dialogue with the Chief Caretaker of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Dr Mohammed Yunus, including at the ongoing session of the UN General Assembly.
The delegates further requested the PM to downgrade diplomatic relations with Bangladesh until the lives and properties of the hill tribes and religious minorities are protected in the light of the ongoing organised attacks on the indigenous peoples in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) by the Bangladesh Army and the illegal plain settlers since September 19.
The memorandum was signed by Suhas Chakma, Founder, Chakma Development Foundation of India; Rashik Mohan Chakma, MLA & Chief Executive Officer of the Chakma Autonomous District Council of Mizoram; Nirupam Chakma, Ex-Minister of Mizoram and Member, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, Bimal Chakma, Member of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council, Prof. Gautam Chakma, President, Humanity Protection Forum and Head of the Department, Political Science, Tripura University, Pritimoy Chakma, Convener of Chakma Hajong Rights Alliance and Ashutosh Chakma, President of the All Assam Chakma Society.
The memorandum highlighted that on September 12, media reports highlighted the attacks and damages to at least 1,090 houses, business establishments and places of worship belonging to the minority communities between August 5 and 20 August after the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government.
The memorandum stated that the attacks were being carried out to counter the growing use of the democratic space by the hill people and drive out the hill tribes out of the CHTs.
