Kapaeeng Foundation

In the 4th Upazila Elections-2014 in Bangladesh, indigenous candidates won 18 chairman posts in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), 20 female vice chairman posts in CHT & plains and 17 vice chairman (general/male) posts in CHT.

In five phases, from February 19, 2014 to March 31, 2014, the 4th Upazila Parishad (Sub-district Council) elections were held in Bangladesh amid allegation of irregularities, vote rigging, snatching of ballot papers, attack on opponent groups etc. It is mentionable that the Upazilas (sub-districts) are the second lowest tier of local government bodies in Bangladesh with major responsibilities for ensuring local service delivery in all key sectors. The national administrative structure consists in fact in Divisions (7), Districts (64), Upazila Parishads (496) and Union Parishads (4451). Bangladesh, at present, has 496 upazilas.

Each Upazila Parishad composes with one chairman, one vice chairman (general) and one woman vice chairman. All three are elected through direct popular election. Union Parishad (lowest tier of administration) chairmen within the upazila are considered as the members of the Upazila Parishad.

Chairman: So far information received, 18 posts of Chairmanship out of 25 upazilas in CHT were captured by the indigenous Jumma candidates. However, no chairman was elected among from indigenous peoples in plain lands.

In CHT, among the 25 upazilas of three hill districts, 18 chairmen were elected among from indigenous Jumma communities and rest 7 chairmen are from non-indigenous Bengali community. Out of 18 indigenous chairmen, 11 belong to Chakma while 7 are among from Marma ethnic group. On the other, among the 18 winning indigenous chairmen, 14 chairmen were supported by indigenous peoples’ political parties while 4 winning chairmen supported by national level mainstream political parties.

Out of 25 upazilas in the CHT, only one indigenous female candidate supported by indigenous political party won the election for the post of chairmanship. This remarkable success was achieved in Barkal upazila, Rangamati district.

Vice Chairman (General): Out of 25 winning vice chairmen in CHT, 17 vice chairmen are belonging to indigenous Jumma communities and 8 are among from Bengali community. Like chairman posts, no vice chairman (general) was elected among from indigenous peoples in plain lands. Ethnic community wise, out of 17 indigenous vice chairmen, 8 are from Chakma and 5 belong to Marma as well as one each from Tripura, Mro, Tangchangya and Bawm ethnic groups. Among the 17 winning vice chairmen, 13 chairmen were supported by indigenous peoples’ political parties while 4 winning chairmen were supported by national level mainstream political parties.

Woman Vice Chairman: Throughout the country, 20 posts of vice chairmanship (female) were captured by the indigenous women candidates where 17 in CHT and 3 in plain lands.

The 20 winning woman vice chairman are belonging from different indigenous community background, of them 17 from CHT where as 9 belong to Chakma, 5 Marma and one each won by Tripura, Tanchangya and Bawm indigenous community, while among the 3 winning vice chairman in plain lands belong to one Monipuri, one Santal and one Rajowar indigenous community. Among the 17 winning female vice chairmen in CHT, 15 female vice chairmen were supported by indigenous peoples’ political parties while 2 winning vice chairmen were supported by mainstream political parties. In the plain land, all 3 winning female vice chairmen were supported by mainstream political parties as indigenous peoples in plain lands do not have own political party.

Conclusion: Compare to upazila election held in 2009, indigenous peoples’ political parties in CHT done better result in 2014. In 2009, out of 25 upazilas in three hill districts, 15 posts of chairmanship were captured by the indigenous candidates. However, among them, only 6 winning chairmen were the candidate of indigenous political parties while 9 chairmen were from mainstream political parties.

Indigenous peoples of the country, particularly in CHT, are not happy with the mainstream political parties negative attitude towards implementation of the CHT Accord and to resolve land problem in plain land & CHT as well as to provide constitutional recognition to the CHT Accord and ethnic identity as indigenous peoples, instead, termed them as Bengali through 15^th Amendment to the Constitution in 2011. Against this backdrop, mainstream political parties tested bad result in the Upazila Parishad Elections in CHT and, on the contrary, indigenous political parties in CHT, at least in some extent, achieved progress.

This figure shows that in 2014 upazila parishad elections, the indigenous political parties in CHT made better result than in 2009 elections.

Party-wise results of the Upazila Elections 2014 in the CHT

* Majority independent Jumma candidates were supported by all quarters of Jumma people.

Names of the winning Chairmen:

Rangamati district:

1. Mr. Arun Kanti Chakma, Rangamati sadar upazila
2. Mr. Bara Rwishi Chakma, Baghaichari upazila
3. Ms. Moni Chakma, Barkal upazila
4. Mr. Uday Joy Chakma, Jurachari upazila
5. Shuva Mongal Chakma, Bilaichari upazila
6. Shaktiman Chakma, Naniarchar upazila
7. S M Chowdhury, Kaukhali upazila
8. Uthin Sin Marma, Rajasthali upazila

Khagrachari district

9. Chanchu Moni Chakma, Khagrachari sadar upazila
10. Sorbottam Chakma, Panchari upazila
11. Bimal Kanti Chakma, Mahalchari upazila
12. Mragya Marma, Manikchari upazila
13. Super Jyoti Chakma, Laxmichari upazila
14. Naba Kamal Chakma, Dighinala upazila

Bandarban district

15. Kyew Hla Ching, Thanchi upazila
16. Aung Thowai Ching, Ruma upazila
17. Kyawba Mong Marma, Rowangchari upazila
18. Thowai Nue Aung, Lama upazila

Names of the winning Vice Chairmen:

Rangamati district:

1. Palash Kusum Chakma, Rangamati sadar upazila
2. Diptiman Chakma, Baghaichari upazila
3. Bidhan Chakma, Barkal upazila
4. Ritan Chakma, Jurachari upazila
5. Amrita Sen Tanchangya, Bilaichari upazila
6. Rana Bikash Chakma, Naniarchari upazila
7. Mong Shwe U Chowdhury, Kaukhali upazila
8. Aung Nue Ching Marma, Rajathali upazila
9. Subrata Bikash Tanchangya, Kaptai upazila

Khagrachari district

10. Ranik Tripura, Khagrachari sadar upazila
11. Kyew Chi Ming Chowdhury, Mahalchari upazila
12. Aungya Prue Marma, Laxmichari upazila
13. Susamoy Chakma, Dighina upazila

Bandarban district

14. Kaintop Mro, Alikadam upazila
15. Chasa Thowai Marma, Thanchi upazila
16. Jingsamalian Bawm, Ruma upazila
17. Kyaw Sai Nu, Rowangchari upazila

Names of the winning Vice Chairmen (female):

Rangamati district:

1. Rita Chakma, Rangamati sadar upazia
2. Sumita Chakma, Baghaichari upazila
3. Shakuntala Chakma, Barkal upazila
4. Shefali Chakma, Jurachari upazila
5. Shyama Chakma, Bilaichari upazila
6. Kuality Chakma, Naniarchari upazila
7. Eni Chakma Kripa, Kaukhali upazila
8. Kroi Suiu Marma, Rajasthali upazila

Khagrachari

9. Beuty Rani Tripura, Khagrachari sadar upazila
10. Ratna Tanchangya, Panchari upazila
11. Kakali Khisa, Mahalchari upazila
12. Gopa Devi Chakma, Dighinala

Bandarban district

13. Waching Prue Marma, Bandarban sadar upazila
14. Byari Marma, Alikadam upazila
15. Bakuli Marma, Thanchi upazila
16. King Eng Moy Bawm, Ruma upazila
17. Ma U Sang, Rowangchari upazila

Plain land:

18. Ms Ranjita Sharma, Vice Chairman (female), Juri Upazila, Moulvibazar district
19. Rosina Soren, Vice Chairman (female), Ghoraghat Upazila, Dinajpur district
20. Protima Rani Rajowar, Vice Chairman (female), Nachol Upazila, Chapainawabgonj