ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the causes of strife in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and highlights the current state of the conflict, as well as possible moves toward any form of resolution. It argues that the 1997 CHT peace accord has failed to alleviate the conflict in the region, largely because of its top-down nature and inadequate implementation by the central government. Without a comprehensive solution to the CHT problem, violence promises to continue largely unabated in the region. The Government of India Act of 1935 declared the CHT a Totally Excluded Area. Under this arrangement, the people of the CHT enjoyed relative autonomy under traditional tribal chiefs, administered by the central government. After the Partition of British India in 1947, the CHT were given to Pakistan, losing their special status and autonomy under an amendment to the Pakistani Constitution in 1963. This amendment eliminated immigration restrictions and allowed the large-scale migration of Bangali settlers into the CHT.
