The law minister, Shafique Ahmed, on Thursday said that land disputes in the Chittagong Hill Tracts could not be resolved because of the problems among the national minority leaders and within the CHT land commission.
He said that the CHT land disputes resolution commission chairman was sincere enough to ensure the land rights of national minorities. 'The problem lies with the members of the land commission… They [other members] must have some interest.'
Shafique said this during an argument with Bangladesh Bar Council's Human Rights Committee chairman ZI Khan Panna at the launch of a book in the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka.
The Association for Land Reform and Development organised the programme where 'The CHT Regulation 1900,' compiled by the Chakma circle chief Raja Devashish Roy and Supreme Court lawyer Pratikar Chakma, was launched.
Justice Golam Rabbani presided over the programme, attended by Supreme Court lawyers including Karunamoy Chakma and Rana Das Gupta and the ALRD executive director, Shamsul Huda.
Emphasising communal ownership of land and customary laws of the national minorities, the minister said, 'Plain-land people have no authority to encroach on your land but you [national minorities] have to prove to the land commission that you are the owners.'
ZI Khan Panna asked how the land commission could survey the community property as the constitution does not recognise community ownership.
Raja Devashish, who is also a member of the CHT land disputes resolution commission, tried to speak but was stopped by Justice Rabbani.
Source : New Age
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