Indigenous leaders submit a memorandum in Rangamati concerning the structure of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Ministry. The image also shows the memorandum submitted to the government. Photo: Collected
Bangladesh, Rangamati | March 3, 2026: Indigenous leaders, journalists, teachers, and civil society representatives from the Chittagong Hill Tracts submitted a memorandum to the Government of Bangladesh on March 3, 2026, expressing concern over the appointment of a non-Indigenous State Minister in the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs. The memorandum was delivered through the Deputy Commissioner of Rangamati and addressed to the Prime Minister. It was signed by dozens of community representatives from Rangamati, Khagrachhari, and Bandarban.
According to the memorandum, the submission was prompted by the recent government decision to appoint Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin as State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs. The signatories state that the structure of the ministry should reflect the institutional framework described in the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord (1997).
On February 17, 2026, the BNP-led government under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman appointed Dipen Dewan, an Indigenous representative from the Hill Tracts, as Minister of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs. At the same time, Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin, Member of Parliament from Chattogram-5 and a barrister trained in the United Kingdom, was appointed as State Minister in the same ministry. While the appointment of Dipen Dewan fulfills the requirement of appointing an Indigenous minister, the inclusion of a non-Indigenous State Minister from outside the Hill Tracts has generated discussion among community leaders in the region.
The memorandum refers to the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord (1997), signed on December 2, 1997, between the Government of Bangladesh and the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS). Part (D), Clause 19 of the Accord states that a ministry on the Chittagong Hill Tracts shall be established by appointing a minister from among the tribals. The appointment of Dipen Dewan, therefore, fulfills the formal condition described in the Accord.
However, the memorandum also notes that the same clause outlines an advisory structure involving institutions and representatives from the Hill Tracts region. According to the Accord, this framework includes the Chairman of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council, the chairmen of the three Hill District Councils, the three Members of Parliament from the Hill Tracts, and the three traditional Circle Chiefs. The Accord also allows the nomination of three non-tribal members, provided that they are permanent residents of the Hill Tracts.
Community leaders who signed the memorandum say that this institutional structure reflects an administrative design in which leadership and participation in governance of the region remain grounded in the Hill Tracts itself. In that context, they note that the appointment of a state minister from outside the region introduces an additional executive role that is not clearly described in the institutional framework outlined in Clause 19.
The memorandum describes the Chittagong Hill Tracts issue as a national political matter rather than simply a local administrative question. It also notes that nearly three decades after the signing of the CHT Accord, several important provisions remain under discussion, including the transfer of administrative authority to regional institutions and the resolution of land disputes in the Hill Tracts.
Because of these ongoing issues, the signatories say that the institutional structure of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs carries significant political and symbolic importance for the region. Through the memorandum, they have requested that the government consider the matter in light of the provisions and institutional principles described in the CHT Accord (1997).
Nearly twenty-eight years after its signing, the CHT Accord remains the central framework guiding discussions on governance, administration, and political arrangements in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The memorandum submitted in Rangamati reflects continuing debate over how the provisions and institutional design of the Accord should be interpreted and implemented today.
By The Times of Jumland | Rangamati Desk
Update (March 6, 2026): Local reports published on March 5 clarified that the memorandum was submitted on Thursday, March 5, 2026.
