International Council for the Indigenous Peoples of CHT (ICIP-CHT)

12 Marcil, St. Constant, Quebec J5A 1R9, CANADA. Phone: 001-450-632-4657 and Email: icip-cht@gmail.com

07 August 2012 Sheikh Hasina Wazed The Honourable Prime Minister The Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh Dhaka, BANGLADESH

Subject: Concern regarding some recent developments in the CHT.

Dear Honourable Prime Minister, We, the International Council for the Indigenous Peoples of CHT (ICIP-CHT), wish to profoundly admire the struggle of Bangladesh for its unwavering march to the road to democracy in which your leadership has made a history. We are proud to acknowledge the contribution you made in building a prosperous and progressive Bangladesh. We also remember in gratitude your historic response to the great humanitarian call to end the decade old conflict in the CHT by pushing through a historic Peace Deal known as the CHT Accord in 1997. However, we are also equally concerned at some of the developments in the CHT which we deem necessary to bring to your kind notice with an intense desire to get them resolved: Tom Eskildsen, Co-President of Jumma Net, Japan, and an adviser to the CHT Commission, was denied entry to at Hazrat Shajalal International airport on 23 July 2012 and deported from Bangladesh. He holds a valid visa, yet no reason was cited and no allegation was brought against him. Tom Eskildsen has been visiting Bangladesh for last 25 years. Jumma Net is a well reputed Japanese NGO working with transparency and following international standards in advocating implementation of the CHT Accord and protection of human rights in the CHT to achieve peace in Bangladesh. We also draw your attention to the governments restriction on the entry of foreigners into the CHT and obligation on their part to have a representative of the district administration present while talking to an indigenous person. We finally draw your attention to the recent government instruction directing the district level administration not to extend support in celebrating the International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples, an event which has been held since 1994 in Bangladesh. "Nothing could be further from the truth when government officials declare nationally and internationally that there are no indigenous people in Bangladesh and this is not the sort of message we should be sending out to the international community (The Daily Star editorial, 3 August 2012)." Rather by indulging in such acts, the government is giving a wrong message to the outside world. This helps to substantiate the speculation inside and outside the country that government is trying to hide the mischief it is committing in the CHT. Your Excellency, given your partys pledge in the 2008 Election Manifest to eliminate, for good, all forms of discriminatory treatments towards the indigenous peoples of Bangladesh, and your reiteration on a number of occasions recently to implement the CHT Accord fully, we trust that you will look into our
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concerns with utmost care and importance and will act to redress these issues raised to uphold Bangladeshs image as a democratic government practicing pluralism and inclusion, and thereby efforts be made to establish peace and prosperity in the CHT and Bangladesh. Thank you for your kind attention and we look forward to your prompt action on the concerns raised.

Yours sincerely,

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