Major Activities in 2018

January 6-7, 2018

UPDF blocked roads in Khagrachari district for two days, protesting against the killing of one of its organizers, Mithun Chakma on January 3 by members of the New Masked Force, a vigilante group formed by the military to suppress the Jumma struggle in the CHT.

The road blockade drew widespread support of the general people.

February 10, 2018

The Hill Women’s Federation blocked roads and waterways in Rangamati district, protesting the rape and sexual assault of two Marma sisters in Belaichari and demanding severest punishment to the soldiers involved in the crime.

Before the blockade, on Jauary 30, the HWF, Nari Sangha and Ghilachari Nari Nirjaton Protirodh Committee had formed a human chain in front of Rangmati DC office to protest the sexual attack.

February 22-23, 2018

The Hill Students’ Council, Democratic Youth Forum and Hill Women’s Federation jointly held a two-day convention in Dhaka, which was inaugurated by noted intellectual and president of Jatyo Mukti Council, Badruddin Umar, and participated by leading activists of the Jumma students, youths and women from the CHT.

March 7, 2018

The PCP, DYF and HWF observed Mukhosh Bahini Resistance Day, defying police brutality in Khagrachari. They also held a protest march in Dhaka, brandishing lathi (stick) in their hands.

March 21, 2018

The PCP, DYF and HWF blocked roads and waterways from dawn to dusk in  Khagrachari and Rangamati, protesting the kidnapping of HWF general secretary Monti Chakma and Doyasona Chakma, GS of HWF Rangamati unit, by army-backed vigilantes from Abashik area in Kudukchari, Rangamati district.

March 28, 2018

A press conference was organized under the banner of “women, youths and students organizations against repression in the Chittagong Hill Tracts” to demand the rescue of HWF general secretary Monti Chakma and her colleague Doyasona Chakma, who were abducted at gun point by army-backed vigilantes on 18 March from Abashik area of Kudukchari in Rangamati district.

HWF president Nirupa Chakma presided over the press conference, while Seema Dutta, president of Bangladesh Nari Mukti Kendra; Rowshon Ara Russo, president of Samajtantric Mohila Forum; Nasima Naznin, convener of Biplobi Nari Mukti; Poppy Sarkar, social welfare secretary of Nari Sanghati; Faisal Ahmed, general secretary of Bangladesh Students Federation; Naima Khaled Monika, president of Samajtantrik Chattra Front (Marxist); Imran Habib Rumon, president of Samajtantrik Chattra Front (Khakequzzaman); Golam Mostafa, president of Bangladesh Students’ Federation and co-ordinator of progressive students alliance; Binoyon Chakma, president of Hill Students Council; Sarkar Al Imran, joint convener of Chattra Okyo Forum and Thuikyo Ching Marma, organizing secretary of Democratic Youth Forum were in attendance.

June 29, 30, 2018

The PCP, DYF and HWF staged protest demonstrations in Dhaka and across the CHT , demanding the government revoke the fifteenth amendment to the constitution of Bangladesh. The 15th amendment, passed by Bangladesh parliament in 2011, terms all the citizens of Bangladesh as Bengali, effectively denying the existence of the ethnic national minorities of the country.

August 20, 2018

The PCP, DYF and HWF blocked roads for six hours in Khagrachari, protesting the killing two days earlier of seven people including three leaders of PCP and HWF by army-backed vigilantes in an armed attack at Swanirbhor in Khagrachari town in the presence of the police.

October 11, 2018

The PCP Chattogram city branch and Chattogram University branch held a joint press conference at Chattogram press club to demand the government reinstitutes the 5 percent quota system for the backward national minorities in the first and second class government services.

A three-day action program, which included protest demonstrations, human chains and submitting memorandums to the government, was also announced at the press conference.

December 30, 2018

The UPDF takes part in the eleventh national parliamentary elections, fielding a candidate for the Khagrachari constituency, while supporting JSS (Santu) candidate in Rangamati.

Despite widespread rigging and ballot stuffing by the Awami League, the UPDF candidate Natum Kumar Chakma bagged 60,340 votes, securing the second position.