Secretary of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Mohammad Mizanur Rahman spoke at the 25th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday. Photo : Collected

DHAKA, April 29, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh has highlighted progress in implementing the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord and measures for ethnic communities' development at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

Secretary of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Mohammad Mizanur Rahman made the remarks at the 25th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday, according to a message received here today.  

He said the Constitution of Bangladesh guarantees equal rights to all citizens regardless of religion, community, race, gender or place of birth.

Referring to the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, he said its provisions are being implemented through an inclusive and participatory process. 

Of the 72 clauses, 65 have already been fully implemented, three partially implemented and four remain under implementation.

The secretary also apprised the forum of government measures to ensure security in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, maintain environmental balance, conduct land surveys and management initiatives to resolve land disputes, and accelerate overall regional development.

He said the government recently appointed a special assistant on ethnic affairs with the status of state minister to strengthen participation of ethnic communities in governance and decision-making.

The forum was also informed of initiatives to reduce poverty and inequality through expanded social safety nets, rural infrastructure, digital connectivity and livelihood diversification.

He reaffirmed the government's commitment to preserving cultural and linguistic diversity and said steps were taken to expand education and healthcare services through scholarships, multilingual and e-learning systems, hospitals, upazila health complexes, community clinics and mobile medical teams.

He added that the government has adopted a plan to plant two million trees in the hill districts as part of climate resilience efforts.

The Bangladesh delegation also included Chairman of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board Anup Kumar Chakma and representatives from the Prime Minister's Office, Foreign Ministry and ethnic communities from the hills and plains.