Ctg citizen's platform calls daylong hartal in Bandarban on 13 Oct over 8-point demands

The Parbatya Chattogram Nagorik Porishod has called for a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Bandarban on 13 October, over eight demands including the repeal of the Chittagong Hill-Tracts Regulation, 1900.

The announcement was made by Kazi Md Mojibur Rahman, the central chairman of the organisation, at a press conference held at a local hotel in Bandarban today (9 October) morning.

During the briefing, Kazi Md Mojibur Rahman outlined the eight demands, emphasising the historical discrimination faced by the Bangali community in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and their exclusion from constitutional rights. The proposed demands are aimed at ensuring the community's fair and constitutional rights.

The eight key demands are:

1. Repeal the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regulation, 1900 and establish a governance system for the three hill districts in line with the constitution
2. Abolish the Raja's certificate system for land purchases, jobs, and education in the region
3. Allow land transactions and land management systems in Rangamati, Khagrachari, and Bandarban, similar to other districts of the country
4. Increase the lease term of market funds and improve financial systems, including resuming suspended bank loans
5. Establish environmentally friendly brick kilns, factories, and industries to support development and job creation
6. Re-establish 246 withdrawn military camps for maintaining law and order and ensuring safety
7. Recover illegal arms and stop extortion, abductions, murders, and rapes, arrest terrorists, and establish lasting peace in the region
8. Eliminate discrimination in education, health, business, and employment, ensuring equal rights and justice for all
9. In addition, Kazi Md Mojibur Rahman declared that the citizens of Bandarban, alongside the Parbatya Chattogram Nagorik Porishod, will observe the strike to press for these demands

However, certain services will remain unaffected by the strike. Government offices, courts, vehicles carrying government officials, ambulances, food and medicine shops, law enforcement vehicles, and vehicles carrying journalists for print and electronic media will be exempted from the hartal restrictions.

The press conference was attended by several notable figures, including Mohammad Nasir Uddin, a member of Bandarban District Council from the interim government, Maulana Abul Kalam, Shah Jalal Rana, and others.