Guwahati: The International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission (CHTC) and the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) have raised concerns over the Bangladesh government’s newly constituted committees on Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) affairs, arguing that the new framework gives significant roles to military and intelligence agencies.
The concerns follow three gazette notifications issued by Bangladesh’s Cabinet Division on September 10, 2026, announcing the formation of a National Committee, Executive Committee and Advisory Committee on CHT affairs.
According to CHTC and IWGIA, the composition and mandates of the committees place military, intelligence and other security institutions at the centre of policy formulation and coordination concerning the CHT.
The organisations said the arrangement could undermine the objectives of the 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord, which was signed between the Bangladesh government and the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) following more than two decades of armed conflict.
The Accord was intended to facilitate a transition towards civilian, democratic and regionally representative governance in the CHT, the organisations said.
Security agencies given key roles
The 19-member National Committee is chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, while the adviser responsible for the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Division has been designated as chief coordinator.
The Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) has been appointed as member-secretary, while the Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division and the Director General of National Security Intelligence are among its members.
The DGFI has also been tasked with providing personnel and infrastructure for the committee’s secretariat. The committee has been authorised to determine priorities concerning the CHT, coordinate activities and formulate a national strategy for the region.
The Executive Committee has an even larger representation from the security establishment. Although the Home Secretary is its formal chair, the DGFI director general has been appointed chief coordinator.
Its members include senior officials from the police, NSI, DGFI, Border Guard Bangladesh, Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party, the Army’s 24 Infantry Division, Armed Forces Division and Special Branch, among others.
The Executive Committee has been assigned responsibility for preparing a national strategy addressing “terrorism and separatism” and reviewing the CHT Accord and relevant laws and regulations, with recommendations for amendments or reforms aimed at what the gazette describes as achieving “sustainable security” in the region.
Concern over review of CHT Accord
CHTC and IWGIA said they were particularly concerned about the decision to place the review of the CHT Accord under a committee coordinated by the country’s principal military intelligence agency.
The organisations argued that the Accord is a political agreement between the Bangladesh government and PCJSS and that any discussion concerning its provisions should involve both parties.
They said a unilateral review that excludes PCJSS could undermine the agreement and called instead for dialogue aimed at its full implementation.
The two organisations also expressed concern over the use of terms such as “terrorism” and “separatism” in the committees’ mandates, saying the terminology could risk treating peaceful political activity, human-rights advocacy and expressions of Indigenous identity as security issues.
Questions over Indigenous representation
The organisations also questioned the composition and position of the Advisory Committee.
While representatives from several CHT institutions have been included, CHTC and IWGIA said this does not amount to sufficient Indigenous representation.
They noted that the three Hill District Council chairs were appointed by the government rather than elected by permanent residents. They also pointed out that the CHT Regional Council is represented through a nominee and that the three Circle Chiefs, headmen and karbaris do not have designated representation on the committee.
According to the organisations, the Advisory Committee has been placed below the National and Executive Committees and can make recommendations, while the security-dominated bodies retain responsibility for developing and coordinating national policy.
Concerns over CHT Affairs Ministry
CHTC and IWGIA also criticised several other decisions concerning the administration of the CHT under the current BNP-led government.
They said the government appointed non-Indigenous State Minister Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin alongside an Indigenous minister in the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs.
The organisations further pointed to the subsequent resignation of Indigenous Minister Dipen Dewan and the appointment of Saching Prue Jerry in his place. They said Helal Uddin continues to serve as state minister.
They also highlighted a government decision of August 27, under which Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban were assigned to Helal Uddin for district-level supervisory responsibilities, while Indigenous CHT Affairs Minister Saching Prue Jerry was assigned responsibility for Cox’s Bazar, which lies outside the CHT.
CHTC and IWGIA said these decisions raised concerns about the extent of Indigenous representation and authority in the administration of the region.
Organisations call for review of new committees
The organisations have called on the Bangladesh government to suspend the operation of the three committees until their structure and mandates are discussed with the CHT Regional Council, traditional institutions, civil society groups, and Indigenous women and youth representatives.
They also called for the removal of DGFI and other intelligence agencies from coordinating and secretarial roles in bodies responsible for CHT policy.
Among their other demands are a clear, time-bound roadmap for implementing the CHT Accord, reactivation of the Accord Implementation and Monitoring Committee, and operationalisation of the CHT Land Dispute Resolution Commission.
The organisations further called for the revocation of the executive order known as Operation Uttoron, which they say has contributed to military control in the region, and urged the government to restore civilian governance. They also called for the allocation of the three CHT districts to the Indigenous CHT Affairs Minister to be reversed.
CHTC and IWGIA finally urged Bangladesh to cooperate with relevant United Nations human-rights mechanisms to examine what they described as a longstanding pattern of human-rights violations in the CHT.