Symbolic illustration of the Rangamati-299 election race. Illustration: The Times of Jumland
Update (Dec 30): Rangamati Nominations
In Rangamati, 11 of the 12 candidates submitted their nomination papers yesterday. The only exception was Priya Chakma of the National Citizen Party (NCP), who did not file her papers.
According to local sources, Priya Chakma has expressed support for Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, in line with the Jamaat-led alliance arrangement.
The final list of contesting candidates will be confirmed after the official scrutiny and withdrawal period.
Keep reading below for full details and background.
Twelve candidates have collected, or announced plans to file, nomination papers for the upcoming national election in Rangamati-299, one of the most politically sensitive constituencies in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
On paper, this is a list of names. In reality, the election raises deeper questions about Indigenous representation, local leadership, and the influence of national politics in the hills.
Rangamati has long been more than a parliamentary seat. For many hill indigenous residents, it represents unresolved issues of land rights, identity, and political recognition. As a result, voters here often look beyond party symbols and focus on who genuinely understands hill realities.
Candidates Who Have Collected Nomination Papers (Party-wise)
- Advocate Dipen Dewan – Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)
- Moitri Chakma – BNP (Alternative candidate)
- Advocate Mokhter Ahmed – Jamaat-e-Islami
- Jui Chakma – Bangladesh Revolutionary Workers Party
- Priya Chakma – National Citizen Party (NCP)
- Abu Bakar Siddique – Khelafat Majlis
- Ashok Talukder – Jatiya Party
- Abdul Haque Mia – Zaker Party
- Jasim Uddin – Islami Andolon Bangladesh
(Follower of the Charmonai Pir) - Abul Basar Badsha – Gono Odhikar Parishad
- Bastri Chakma – Independent candidate
- Pahel Chakma – Independent candidate
The list includes both Indigenous and non-Indigenous candidates, once again bringing the issue of who truly represents the hills into focus. At the same time, it is notable that no hill-based regional political party has a candidate in the race so far, creating a visible gap in local political representation.
Political observers say that voters in Rangamati are likely to weigh candidates not only by party affiliation but also by their positions on Indigenous rights, land disputes, and long-standing grievances in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
The final list of candidates will be confirmed after the nomination verification and withdrawal process. Only then will the full picture of the electoral contest become clear.
