Opinion With his oath-taking on February 17 as the 11th Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman\u2019s government has begun its journey. Following his party BNP\u2019s two-thirds majority victory in the 13th National Parliamentary Election held on February 12 under the interim government of Dr. Yunus, his leadership has brought a new government to power. BNP also won the three parliamentary seats in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). With an overwhelming majority in Parliament, his government will face no obstacles in amending the Constitution.<\/p>\n In his address to the nation on February 18 after taking the oath, Tarique Rahman outlined three priorities of his government: improving law and order, combating corruption, and restoring peace and security. He stated, \u201cNot party or political influence, nor coercion, but the rule of law will be the final word in running the state.\u201d<\/p>\n Regarding the kind of Bangladesh he envisions, he said in his speech, \u201cMuslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians\u2014regardless of party, opinion, religion, or ethnicity\u2014whether living in the hills or the plains, this country belongs to all of us. We want to transform this country into a safe land for every citizen. Establishing a self-reliant, secure, humane, and democratic Bangladesh is the goal of the BNP government.\u201d<\/p>\n Tarique Rahman has also allocated ministerial portfolios. He appointed Dipen Dewan as Minister of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs, while also appointing Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin of Chattogram as State Minister for the same ministry. This has raised considerable suspicion and criticism. Many have questioned the logic of appointing both a minister and a state minister to such a small ministry. Widespread criticism has also been observed on social media.<\/p>\n BNP is no stranger to either the hill people or the plains dwellers. The party\u2019s founder, Ziaur Rahman, ruled for four years until his assassination on May 30, 1981. Later, his wife Khaleda Zia served two terms as Prime Minister, from 1991\u20131996 and 2001\u20132006. A few days after Tarique Rahman\u2019s return to the country, she passed away on December 30.<\/p>\n After 19 years out of power, BNP has returned to governance through elections, and with Tarique Rahman elected Prime Minister, Bangladesh has once again fallen into the old pattern of dynastic rule that has persisted since independence, excluding interim and military governments.<\/p>\n In his speech, Tarique Rahman explicitly mentioned both the \u201chills and the plains.\u201d He wants to build a safe and democratic Bangladesh for every citizen of both regions. His speech was undoubtedly pleasing to the ear. But if he does not understand the differences between the hills and the plains, then his speech will make no difference in the prevailing political situation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.<\/p>\n What is the current situation in the CHT? Although Hasina\u2019s fascist rule ended after the mass uprising of 2024, long-standing military-fascism in the hills continues to prevail. There is no democracy here; under the name of \u201cOperation Uttaran,\u201d an undeclared military rule and control persist. Sheikh Hasina did not personally govern the CHT; she left its administration in the hands of the 24th Infantry Division in Chattogram. As a result, the army\u2019s word was final on CHT matters. Yet political problems can never be solved through military force. Due to this flawed policy of the Hasina government, peace has not returned to the hills in the 28 years since the \u201chistoric Peace Accord\u201d of 1997.<\/p>\n To restore lasting peace in the CHT, several initial steps are essential.<\/p>\n First, full political authority must be established over the army deployed in the CHT. Although Sheikh Hasina was Prime Minister in name, she was effectively Prime Minister only of the plains; the hills remained beyond her governance. She allowed the army to do as it pleased in the CHT or adopted policies and decisions according to its directives. As a result, during her tenure, numerous communal attacks, arson incidents, land grabs, and rapes of indigenous women occurred in the hills. In the name of suppressing so-called terrorism, armed vigilante groups were formed, creating extreme unrest and anarchy.<\/p>\n Dr. Yunus\u2019s interim government also followed in Hasina\u2019s footsteps. Therefore, during his 18-month tenure, the hills witnessed several large-scale communal attacks.<\/p>\n This unrest in the hills must be calmed, and to do so, Tarique Rahman\u2019s government must first establish full control over the army. He must become Prime Minister of the CHT as well. Like Hasina, he must not hand over the governance of the CHT to any other force or agency.<\/p>\n Second, the CHT problem must be treated as a political issue and addressed accordingly. In the past, attempts were made to resolve it through military force, but that only made the problem more complex.<\/p>\n Third, a process must begin to correct the wrong decisions of the past. Trying to solve a problem while leaving its root mistakes intact will never succeed; instead, it will only layer new mistakes upon old ones. The flawed decisions made in the 1970s and early 1980s, which initiated and complicated the CHT crisis, now present a historic opportunity for correction before Tarique Rahman\u2019s government. If he fails to seize this opportunity and instead creates new mistakes, history will not forgive him. The cost of such errors will be borne by generations. Therefore, he must rise above narrow politics and demonstrate statesmanlike foresight to rectify past wrongs and remedy the long-standing injustices inflicted upon the people of the CHT. At present, he alone in Bangladesh has the rare opportunity to show such moral courage.<\/p>\n Fourth, arrangements must be made without delay for elections to the three Hill District Councils and the Regional Council. The District Councils have not seen any elections since 1989. For the past 31 years, every government has run these councils with party-appointed individuals, depriving the general population of their right to elect their own representatives.<\/p>\n In short, if a genuine democratic process is initiated in the hills and steps are taken to correct past mistakes, a gentle breeze of peace will gradually return. Tarique Rahman\u2019s government must now take this courageous first step. His rule in the hills must not only be based on law, but on justice.<\/p>\n (23 February 2026)<\/p>\n ——-<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Opinion With his oath-taking on February 17 as the 11th Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman\u2019s government has begun its journey. Following his party BNP\u2019s two-thirds majority victory in the 13th National Parliamentary Election held on February 12 under the interim government of Dr. Yunus, his leadership has brought a new government to power. BNP also won […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6008,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary"],"yoast_head":"\n
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