BNP leader Hannan Shah has demanded trial of Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council chairman Shantu Larma since his Shantibahini militia had fought against the country and committed crimes during the decades-long bush war. Shah, an advisor to opposition leader Khaleda Zia, said, "If the war criminals are to be tried, then Shantu Larma must be tried as well."

"Many incidents of war crimes took place in the hill tracts, but none raised their voice to try him," he said at a discussion session on "conspiracies with the CHT" in the National Press Club on Friday. The BNP leader went on to allege that Larma, whose real name is Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, and his forces were the beneficiaries of the bloody BDR mutiny as the borders have since been left insecure. His claimed that he Chakma are not Bangladeshi indigenous. They were driven away from Cambodia and entered the country through Myanmar, he added. Shah said the Awami League government took office to implement the agendas on the CHT and sovereignty of the country set by the "international power groups".

Former BDR director general Fazlur Rahman termed the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Shonghoti Samity as 'Parbatya Rajakars' (hilly traitors) and demanded immediate cancellation of the 1997 CHT Peace Accord and suspension of the army withdrawal from the hills region until the 'situation was normal'. Professor Razia Akter Banu of Dhaka University said the hill tracts will get closer to sovereignty if the CHT accord was implemented. Other speakers urged for discussion than forcing solution to the issue.