Speakers at a roundtable on Wednesday called for a halt to land grabbing in hill districts through a proper law in favour of tribal people.
Encroachers have adopted multiple techniques to grab acres of land in the name of economic development.
Protecting the Chattogram hill tract (CHT) is a mandate of the government not only under the peace treaty, but also in the context of climate change, they asserted.
The speakers shared their views during a roundtable styled 'Lama Rubber Industry Aggression and Land Protection Movement' at the National Press Club.
Prof Anu Muhammad, Prof Meghna Guhathakurta, Prof Tanjim Uddin Khan, Dr Sushanto Barua of Public Health Rights Protection Committee, Bangladesh Women Freedom Centre president Seema Dutta and Bangladesh Lekhok Shibir president Hasibur Rahman, among others, spoke.
Lama Soroi Land Protection Movement Committee convener Randhjon Tripura presided over the programme.
Prof Anu said land grabbing in the CHT region has been done legally and illegally taking advantage of a faulty law that allows leasing land from hilly peoples.
In the name of resort and tourism, he said, a new style of grabbing continues in the country's invaluable naturally beautiful area.
Prof Anu demanded a halt to building five-star hotels in hill districts where foreign tourists would not visit to enjoy star facility, rather for ecotourism.
He pointed out that new forms of grabbing are being carried out by civilians and non-civilians, including law-enforcers.
Prof Guhathakurta said land grabbing must be checked by the government to save the biodiversity of the hilly area in the context of climate change.
Rubber industry in the hilly area was allowed wrongly as they have become grabbers being greedy for profit from resort and star hotel business, she added.
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