At a dialogue hosted by the National Consensus Commission on Saturday, the United People鈥檚 Democratic Front said that the failure to recognise the country鈥檚 ethnic diversity in the 1972 constitution led to a decades-long conflict in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
In a separate session, Gano Forum leaders said that the failure to implement the joint declaration agreed upon by the three political alliances that ousted autocrat Ershad in 1990 weakened democratic institutions and eventually resulted in the July 2024 uprising.
Leaders from both parties stressed that such historic mistakes must not be repeated.
The delegation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts-based UPDF, led by its Dhaka region coordinator Michael Chakma, stressed that ongoing constitutional reform discussions should address autonomy in the CHT and constitutional recognition of national minorities..
Michael said, 鈥楾he failure to ensure autonomy for the CHT people in the 1972 constitution resulted in a six-decade bloody conflict in the region.鈥�
The UPDF urged the NCC not to repeat the same mistake. Citing the importance of constitutional recognition, he said the 1997 Peace Accord failed to bring peace to the CHT region because it lacked constitutional backing.
鈥業t was a weak agreement. As it is without constitutional recognition, any government can revoke it at will,鈥� he observed.
The dialogue between the UPDF and the NCC began at 10:00am and was adjourned at around 12:00pm, with the next session scheduled for the afternoon of May 15.
Responding to a question, Michael said his party did not support any delay in holding the next general elections.
鈥楾he UPDF鈥檚 goal is the establishment of a humane, welfare-oriented, and inclusive state,鈥� he stated.
Speaking to journalists, Michael expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order in the CHT region since the July uprising. He also called for amending the Election Commission鈥檚 party registration rules, which currently disqualify regional political parties.
Another CHT-based political party Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti was not invited to the NCC-hosted dialogues on the state reforms.
According to NCC officials, the PCJSS was not invited to dialogues as the organisation has not been taking part in the reform initiatives.
In another session, Gano Forum general secretary Mizanur Rahman said that the failure of political parties to implement the 1990 joint declaration paved the way for autocracy in the country.
鈥楢ll incumbents, despite being part of the three-political alliances, failed to govern Bangladesh in line with the expectation of the martyrs of the anti-autocracy movement. That is why the July uprising took place,鈥� he said.
Mizanur noted that his party president, Kamal Hossain, who led the 1972
constitution drafting committee, has already expressed his support for the ongoing state reform initiatives, expecting the reforms to reflect the people鈥檚 aspirations.
鈥楬owever, we do not support any disharmony between the 1971 Liberation War and the July 2024 uprising,鈥� he added.
Mizanur led an 11-member delegation to the dialogue.
Both sessions were presided over by NCC vice-chair Ali Riaz. Other commission members present included Soffar Raj Hossain, Badiul Alam Majumdar, Iftekharuzzaman, Mohammad Ayub Mia, and the chief adviser鈥檚 special assistant Monir Haider.
