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| Dharma Jyoti Chakma speaking at an election campaign rally in Guimara. |
Special Correspondent, CHT News
Monday, February 2, 2026
The 13th National Parliamentary Election will be held
on February 12. In this Awami League–free election, the BNP is trying to
maintain its dominance in the field. However, in almost every constituency the
party is facing strong opponents. Whether the BNP will secure enough seats to
form the government remains uncertain. Even at the last moment before the
election, the vote calculations could change dramatically.
In the constituencies of the Chittagong Hill Tracts as
well, the BNP is facing strong competition. In the Khagrachari constituency,
the presence of a rebel BNP candidate has been steadily brightening the
prospects of independent candidate Dharma Jyoti Chakma. Among the hill people,
BNP candidate Wadud Bhuiyan has a negative image. He is blamed for the horrific
communal attack in Mahalchari in 2003. In addition, there are allegations that
he has incited settlers to illegally grab the land of the hill people. During
the state of emergency in 2007, he was arrested and later convicted by a court
on corruption charges.
A section of the settlers also accuses him of
extortion and terrorism, among other offenses. As a result, he is certain to be
deprived of votes from a large segment of the Bengali population.
It is believed that BNP rebel candidate Samiran Dewan
was put forward jointly by military intelligence and the JSS (Santu Group).
Their objective was to split the hill people’s votes so as to ensure Wadud
Bhuiyan’s victory. However, the likelihood of this plan succeeding is very low.
Samiran Dewan is despised among the hill people as a Dalal (collaborator). In
the past, the JSS Santu Group itself had declared him a “national traitor,
collaborator, and corrupt individual.” Consequently, he has virtually no acceptance
in Jumma society. Although he has some connections among a very small section
of the urban middle class, he has no real ties with grassroots common people.
Therefore, it seems unlikely that he will have much influence on the election
results. Moreover, even though the JSS Santu Group supports him, it has no
organizational activity in Khagrachari.
On the other hand, independent candidate and former
Dighinala Upazila Chairman Dharma Jyoti Chakma is relatively young and enjoys
widespread support from students and youth. He is the consensus candidate of
Khagrachari’s civil society. Former upazila chairmen from 7 of Khagrachari’s 9
upazilas, along with union parishad chairmen, members, and headmen/karbaris,
were involved in selecting his candidacy. Despite intense pressure from the JSS
Santu Group and military-backed organizations, he did not withdraw his
nomination. This has further strengthened his image as a rebellious candidate,
and repeated injustices against him have earned him growing public sympathy.
Although he started campaigning somewhat late, strong
public support for Dharma Jyoti Chakma is now clearly visible. Those who had
been undecided about whom to vote for are now “mounting the horse” in his
favor. Most importantly, the UPDF is committed to supporting the candidate
nominated by civil society. This party has a strong, well-organized base and
broad popular support in Khagrachari, which—if properly utilized during the
election—can guarantee the horse’s victory one hundred percent. Additionally, it
is expected that he may receive a significant portion of Awami League votes as
a bonus, since they will not cast their votes in the wrong place and thereby
ensure the victory of their arch-enemy, Wadud Bhuiyan.
Dharma Jyoti Chakma may be the preferred choice for
all as a stabilizing factor in Khagrachari. If Wadud Bhuiyan is elected, there
will be no remaining existence for the opposing camp of his party, including
Awami League leaders, activists, and supporters in Khagrachari. They know this
very well. Even before being elected, he has already cornered his party’s
opponents and Awami League members; it is easy to imagine what he would do if
elected. In short, Wadud Bhuiyan has enemies everywhere—both inside and outside.
If all of them can unite, his defeat will become even easier. Considering all
these factors, informed circles believe that stopping the horse’s victory is
becoming almost impossible.
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