This is the first time that Khagrachchari has been in the news since more than 400 houses in 10 villages in Mohalchchari upazila were torched and local tribals terrorised by a rampaging mob of ethnic Bengali settlers in late August. In that incident, the government was criticised for its inability to protect the tribals who alleged that security personnel did nothing to stop the atrocities.

While it would be imprudent to lay the blame for the current crisis on the shoulders of the government, it cannot be denied that the government's inattention to the situation in the CHT does not help matters in the slightest.

The 1997 CHT accord still languishes unimplemented either by the previous AL government that signed it or by the current BNP government. Tuesday's abductions demonstrate the danger of such a state of affairs continuing indefinitely. If the government has reservations about the accord, then it should come out and say what they are and begin the process of resolving its differences. But benign neglect of the accord and the region is a luxury the country clearly can no longer afford.

We have reported earlier on the serious dysfunction within the CHT ministry, which together with the government's evident lack of attention to the region, can only serve to strengthen the hand of the more extreme groups in the CHT and contribute to the political tension and unrest. Tuesday's abduction merely serves to underscore that the government must focus on the CHT region on a priority basis before the situation deteriorates any further.