The Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) has appealed for intervention from international election observers during Bangladesh’s 13th Parliamentary elections amid claims of threats against indigenous Buddhist candidates in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). The group reports that Mr. Pahel Chakma and Mr. Dharma Jyoti Chakma have received death threats from the Parbatto Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS), an armed group led by Santu Larma, the Chairman of the CHT Regional Council. RRAG alleges that around 75 armed PCJSS members, deployed by the Bangladesh Army, are intimidating indigenous voters and coercing them to support major national parties such as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami. Despite Mr. Pahel Chakma filing a General Diary with the police, an FIR has reportedly not been registered. Further complicating the situation, a forged withdrawal letter regarding Mr. Dharma Jyoti Chakma was submitted to authorities, with no resultant action. RRAG contends that the PCJSS operates as a government-backed entity despite its disarmament after the 1997 CHT Accord, and it undermines electoral fairness by threatening independent candidates. The group has called for international observers to monitor the elections in Khagrachari and Rangamati, protect the candidates, and address these serious allegations to promote human rights and uphold the integrity of the electoral process.
Death Threats Target Buddhist MP Hopefuls in CHT, Raising Alarm Over Bangladesh Polls
