Status verified as of 22 September 2026. Political positions change; this explainer describes the documented position on that date.
Current position
The Chittagong Hill Tracts are governed under a Regional Council structure established by the 1997 Peace Accord, though its full implementation has remained contested for decades. Separately, the Kuki-Chin National Front, representing different ethnic communities, has waged an armed campaign for a separate state since around 2021-2022, met with ongoing Bangladeshi security operations.[1]
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: Around 2021-2022, the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), an armed group formed by members of the Bawm ethnic group in Bandarban, emerged demanding a separate state for six ethnic groups (Bawm, Pankhua, Lushai, Khyang, Mro and Khumi) across parts of Rangamati and Bandarban districts; Bangladeshi security forces launched operations against the group from October 2022, and the KNF gained wider attention following the alleged killing of two Bangladeshi soldiers in Bandarban in May 2023. This bundle treats the KNF as a distinct movement from the PCJSS/Jumma movement covered elsewhere in this bundle and does not provide a detailed account of the ongoing conflict.
- Why Bangladesh's Kuki National Front is Cause for Concern (The Diplomat) link, Formation and demands section. Source record
Printed from https://independenceatlas.com/movements/chittagong-hill-tracts/status · last substantive update 24 September 2026.