The tribals say the process was stalled by the Khaleda Zia government that was opposed to the pact.

'As Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is pledge-bound to implement the Chittagong Hill Tracts Treaty signed in 1997, she directed withdrawal of the troops from the region,' an official at the army headquarters told New Age.

'The government is sincere and committed to fully implement the treaty' signed to end insurgency and establish permanent peace in the CHT, the official said.

In CHT, a large Buddhist enclave was allotted to Muslim-majority Pakistan at the time of India's Partition in 1947 because Karnaphuli river, the principal source of water for the river port in Chittagong flows through it.

Tribals felt persecuted in subsequent years and revolted. The picturesque CHT is Bangladesh's major draw for tourists.