National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener and Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam has called for ensuring accountability and equal rights for all communities in the Chattogram Hill Tracts, saying a political solution is needed to address long-standing grievances in the region.
Speaking
at a discussion titled “July in the Hills: Equal Dignity, Coexistence and
Harmony” at Chattogram Press Club on Sunday, Nahid said the current
government came to power with a two-thirds majority, yet there is no
representative from the hill region in the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts
Affairs.
He
said the removal of Dipen Dewan from the ministry was an unprecedented incident
in Bangladesh’s history and claimed such decisions were possible because the
government was not under proper accountability.
Nahid
said the voices from the hill areas should be included in the implementation of
the July Charter. He added that NCP supports equal citizenship rights for all
while remaining firm on issues of national sovereignty.
Highlighting
challenges in the hills, he said there are reports of different forms of
extortion and violence in the region, and accountability must be ensured from
the hills to the plains.
He
said the politics, society and economy of the Chattogram Hill Tracts are
complex and cannot be solved through a single approach. According to him, both
indigenous communities and Bengali residents have faced different forms of
deprivation, and political dialogue is necessary to find a lasting solution.
Nahid
also said political parties must take responsibility for resolving conflicts
and bring all communities into the mainstream. He called for action against
those who seek to benefit by keeping conflicts alive.
Regarding
upcoming local government elections, he said NCP would ensure representation
across the country and would give special importance to the hill areas,
expressing hope that new young representatives would emerge there after five
decades.
The discussion was attended by NCP Political Council members Sarwar Tushar, Ali Ahsan Junaid, Chattogram divisional organising secretary SM Suza Uddin and representatives of hill communities.

Sunday, August 2, 2026
Published Date : August 2, 2026
