Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs
Profile
- Head
- Dipen Dewan
- Role
- Minister
- Annual budget
- ৳14,000,000,000
- Staff
- —
- Established
- 1998
- Legal basis
- Established by Cabinet Order pursuant to the CHT Peace Accord signed December 2, 1997; Cabinet approved its formation July 15, 1998; Rules of Business 1996 (Bangladesh)
MOCHTA is simultaneously promoting CHT eco-tourism and Kaptai Lake development while managing two security crises: unresolved Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) armed insurgency in Bandarban that has displaced over 4,000 Bawm civilians since 2022, and a broader ethnic exodus documented in May 2026. On the 1997 CHT Accord, Minister Dipen Dewan pledges 'positive progress' but has not specified a timeline; the CHT Land Commission still holds ~27,000 unresolved land complaints; PCJSS/JSS disputes the government's UN claim that 65 of 72 Accord clauses are implemented. State Minister Mir Helal Uddin's appointment has drawn protests from indigenous activists who argue Article 19(d) of the Accord requires an indigenous-community representative in that role.
Recent activity
- 2026-02-17 appointment Dipen Dewan (BNP, Rangamati) sworn in as Minister for CHT Affairs in PM Tarique Rahman's cabinet; Mir Mohammed Helal Uddin (BNP, Chittagong-5) simultaneously sworn as State Minister for CHT Affairs. ↗↗
- 2026-02-22 policy Minister Dipen Dewan announced a 180-day action plan emphasising zero tolerance on corruption and land mafias in the three hill districts; initial focus areas include family card distribution in Bandarban, canal excavation, tree plantation, and agricultural development. ↗↗
- 2026-04-26 policy MOCHTA launched re-excavation of approximately 33 km of canals at Sapchhari and Kutukchhari unions in Rangamati Sadar upazila at an estimated cost of Tk 8.5 crore, part of the government's 31-point reform agenda and 180-day action plan. ↗
- 2026-04-29 international Bangladesh delegation presented CHT Accord implementation progress at the 25th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York, claiming 65 of 72 clauses fully implemented; reported land survey initiatives, tree-planting plans (2 million trees in hill districts), and expanded social safety nets. ↗↗
- 2026-05-06 policy Minister Dipen Dewan convened deputy commissioners of all three hill districts, emphasising balanced resource management, forest conservation, and the need for DCs to maintain sensitivity to the CHT's complex ethnic and land-use dynamics; directed upazila-level hostels for students and Headman Offices in Khagrachhari. ↗
- 2026-05-11 policy Minister Dipen Dewan called for inter-ministerial coordination to remove administrative barriers to foreign tourist access in CHT; announced government plans to leverage Kaptai Lake for tourism-centred economic development and committed to ensuring safety for international visitors. ↗↗
- 2026-05-13 other The Diplomat reported an accelerating exodus of non-Muslim ethnic minorities (Marma Buddhists, Bawm Christians) from CHT to Myanmar's Chin and Rakhine states, driven by land encroachment, crop destruction, enforced movement restrictions, and violence; partly attributed to army counter-insurgency operations against the Kuki-Chin National Front. ↗↗
Provenance & notes
TITLE CORRECTION: The user brief specified 'State Minister: Dipen Dewan (BNP, Rangamati)'. All verified primary sources (BSS, TBSNews, Wikipedia, Dhaka Tribune) consistently record Dipen Dewan as the full Cabinet Minister for CHT Affairs, not State Minister. Mir Mohammed Helal Uddin (BNP, Chittagong-5) is the State Minister for CHT Affairs (and simultaneously State Minister for Land since March 12, 2026). This record reflects the verified designation. Budget figure of Tk 1,400 crore (BDT 14,000,000,000) is from Wikipedia citing official FY 2024-25 data; the FY 2025-26 figure is not yet confirmed in accessible public documents as of verification date. Staff count: MOCHTA has a Secretary (AKM Shamimul Haque Siddiqui as of early 2026) and oversees six sub-entities (3 Hill District Councils, CHT Development Board, CHT Regional Council secretariat, Refugee Rehabilitation Task Force) but total sanctioned headcount is not publicly available. Accord implementation: Bangladesh told the UN 65 of 72 clauses are fully implemented (April 2026); PCJSS/JSS contests this, citing only 25 fully implemented and 29 yet unimplemented including land commission operationalisation and demilitarisation. The CHT Land Commission has received ~27,000 complaints and resolved none. Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) context: KNF emerged 2021 from Kuki-Chin groups including Bawm, Pangkhua, Lusai, Khumi, Mro, Khiang; army counter-insurgency operations have displaced 4,000+ Bawm civilians since October 2022. Eco-tourism note: No-hill-cutting-for-resorts policy was also affirmed by Dipen Dewan.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Chittagong_Hill_Tracts_Affairs
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipen_Dewan
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mir_Mohammed_Helal_Uddin_(politician)
- https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/dipen-dewan-takes-charge-minister-chittagong-hill-tracts-affairs-1365381
- https://www.bssnews.net/news/363075
- https://www.bssnews.net/news/378702
- https://www.bssnews.net/news/381658
- https://www.bssnews.net/news/382538
- https://www.bssnews.net/news/384761
- https://www.bssnews.net/news/385977
- https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/409914/cht-affairs-minister-calls-for-coordination-to
- https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/408669/dipen-development-projects-taken-up-for-hill
- https://www.dhakatribune.com/amp/bangladesh/408949/bangladesh-highlights-cht-accord-progress-at-un
- https://thediplomat.com/2026/05/ethnic-groups-fleeing-bangladeshs-hill-tracts-in-search-of-safety-in-myanmar/
- https://www.socialnews.xyz/2026/05/13/ethnic-groups-fleeing-to-myanmar-from-bangladeshs-chittagong-hill-tracts-due-to-violence-report/
- https://iwgia.org/en/news/5554-caught-crossifre-bawm-complex-ties-between-bangladesh-military-kuki-chin-national-front.html
- https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/8fuc6p08lp
- https://mochta.gov.bd