The Muslim groups are part of the population settled in the Buddhist majority region since the district was allocated to Pakistan when India was partitioned in 1947.

Although the partition was on Hindu-Muslim lines, British arbitrator Cyril Radcliffe awarded CHT to Pakistan as Karnaphuli river, the main source of water for Chittagong port, flowed through the CHT.

About 200 temporary army camps had previously been withdrawn from the CHT at different times after signing of the treaty without causing any disruption to law and order in the region. This time the government has withdrawn only 35 camps, said the committee convener.

The 1997 accord came after years of armed militancy by the Buddhist tribals. It was signed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her earlier stint in the government.