The Chittagong (Chadigang) Hill Tracts,often shortened to simply the Hill Tracts and abbreviated to CHT,are a group of districts within the Chittagong Division in southeastern Bangladesh,bordering India and Myanmar (Burma) in the east. Covering 13,295 square kilometres (5,133 sq mi),they formed a single district until 1984,when they were divided into three districts:Khagrachhari,Rangamati,and Bandarban.
Chittagong Division,officially known as Chattogram Division,is geographically the largest of the eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh. It covers the south-easternmost areas of the country,with a total area of 34,529.97 km2 (13,332.10 sq mi) and a population at the 2022 census of 33,202,326. The administrative division includes mainland Chittagong District,neighbouring districts and the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
The Chakma people or Changhma people (Chakma:𑄌𑄋𑄴𑄟𑄳𑄦),are an ethnic group from the eastern-most regions of the Indian subcontinent and Western Myanmar. They are the largest ethnic group of the Chittagong Hill Tracts region of southeastern Bangladesh,and the largest in the Chakma Autonomous District Council of Mizoram,India. Significant Chakma populations are found in the northeast Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh,Tripura and Assam.
The Shanti Bahini was the armed wing of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti in Bangladesh. It is considered an insurgent group in Bangladesh. The Shanti Bahini was made out of mostly members from the Chakma tribe.
The Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti is a left wing political party formed to represent the people and indigenous tribes of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. Since its inception in 1972,the PCJSS has fought for autonomy and the recognition of the ethnic identity and rights of the indigenous tribes of the Hill Tracts. Its military arm,the Shanti Bahini was used to fight government forces and Bengali settlers in the Hill Tracts. A peace accord was signed in 1997 led to the disarmament of the Shanti Bahini and enabled the PCJSS to return to mainstream politics.
Rangamati is the administrative headquarter and town of Rangamati Hill District in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. The town is located at 22°37'60N 92°12'0E and has an altitude of 14 metres (46 ft). It is also where Ropuiliani,a Mizo chieftess,was jailed and died,during British rule in Mizoram.
Bandarban is a district in South-Eastern Bangladesh,and a part of the Chittagong Division. It is one of the three hill districts of Bangladesh and a part of the Chittagong Hill Tracts,the others being Rangamati District and Khagrachhari District. Bandarban district (4,479 km2) is not only the most remote district of the country,but also the least populous. There is an army contingent at Bandarban Cantonment.
The Insurgency in the Chittagong Hill Tracts refers to a political and armed conflict that occurred in Bangladesh in two phases:
Devasish Roy is a Bangladeshi politician and lawyer. He is the titular Raja of the Chakma Circle,Bangladesh's largest indigenous community,and was a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues from 2014 to 2016.
Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing is a Bangladesh Awami League politician. He is from Bandarban district and was elected as a member of parliament from Bandarban constituency for the 7th time in the 12th parliamentary election. He served as the minister of Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs from 2019 to 2024 and State Minister from 2014 to 2019.
Kalparanjan Chakma was a Bangladesh Awami League politician and a Minister of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs. He helped negotiate the release of two Danes and a Briton kidnapped by Shanti Bahini members in Chittagong Hill Tracts.
A.B.M. Fazle Karim Chowdhury is a Bangladesh Awami League politician and the incumbent Member of Parliament of Raozan upazila in Chittagong District. He is the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Railways Ministry.
24th Infantry Division is a formation of the Bangladesh Army,headquartered in Chittagong Cantonment,Chittagong District. It is the largest infantry division of the Bangladesh Army.
Moni Swapan Dewan alias Major Rajesh is a Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician,ethnic Chakma,and a former member of parliament from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. He is also the former deputy minister for Hill Tracts Affairs.
Khagrachhari Hill District Council is the local government council responsible for the administration of Khagrachhari District,Bangladesh. The chairman of the council is Kongjari Chowdhury.
Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council is the local government body responsible for the welfare and some administrations of the Chittagong Hill Tracts districts,which include Bandarban District,Khagrachari District,and Rangamati Hill District,in Bangladesh and is located in Dhaka,Rangamati. Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma also known as Santu Larma is the Chairman of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council. He is also the chairman of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti.
Bandarban Hill District Council is the regional government body responsible for the administration of Bandarban Hill District in Bangladesh. Kyaw Shwe Hla is the chairman of the council.
Shawkat Momen Shahjahan was a Bangladesh Awami League politician and a Member of Parliament.
Naba Bikram Kishore Tripura is one of the prominent government official who holds different position during his government service holder. He was the Chairman of Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board. He served as Secretary of Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs from 2011 to 2018.. He served As an Ambassador at Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bangladesh) from 2010 to 2011. Before that,he was holding the position of Additional Inspector General. of Bangladesh Police which is the Second in Command on Bangladesh Police.
Rangamati is a constituency of the Jatiya Sangsad of Bangladesh,represented,since 2018 June,by Dipankar Talukdar of the Awami League.
