United People's Democratic Front (abbreviated as UPDF; Bengali: ইউনাইটেড পিপলস ডেমোক্রেটিক ফ্রন্ট; [junaɪʈeɖ pipɔls ɖemokræʈik frɔnʈ]) is a regional political party based in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. Chakmas form the majority ethnic group in the party. The United People's Democratic Front claims to seek a fully autonomous Hill Tracts through peaceful and democratic means.
United People's Democratic Front ইউনাইটেড পিপলস ডেমোক্রেটিক ফ্রন্ট | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | UPDF |
| President | Prasit Bikash Khisa |
| General Secretary | Rabi Shankar Chakma |
| Founded | 26 December 1998 |
| Split from | Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti |
| Headquarters | Rangamati, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh |
| Ideology | Autonomism |
| Colors | Blue |
| House of the Nation | Parliament dissolved |
| District councils | Post dissolved |
| Subdistrict councils | Post dissolved |
| Union councils | Post dissolved |
| Municipalities | Post dissolved |
| Election symbol | |
| Bow and arrow | |
| Party flag | |
 | |
| Website | |
| updfcht | |
Founding
editThe United People's Democratic Front was founded on 26 December 1998 at a conference in Dhaka. At the end of the conference, a five-member convening committee was formed with Prasit Bikash Khisha as its convener.[citation needed]
In November 2006, Prasit Bikash Khisha was elected to presidency by the party's central committee during a congress in Dhaka. In the same meeting, Rabi Shankar Chakma became the new general secretary.[citation needed]
Elections
editThe UPDF took part in the eighth national parliamentary elections in 2001 and though failed to win in any of the two seats in CHT it contested, the party received a considerable number of votes cast, to the surprise of many analysts.[citation needed]
History
editIn July 2021, the party's Joan Chakma led a contingent of Chakmas to Suandrapara, a village of the Bawm community, where they issued threats and conducted two violent raids leading damaging a church.[1] Towards the end of the same month, four of the party's members were arrested for extortion.[2]
On 16 April 2025, UPDF was accused of abducting 5 tribal university students who were members of PCP.[3]
On 17 April 2026, the vice president of the youth wing of UPDF, Dharmasingh Chakma, was allegedly killed by Jana Samhati Samiti members in Rangamati Sadar.[4][5]
References
edit- ↑ "Bangladeshi Christian villagers forced to flee after violent attacks by Buddhist extremists". Barnabas Fund. 2 August 2021.
- ↑ Dhar, Bijoy (31 July 2021). "4 UPDF members arrested in Rangamati". Dhaka Tribune. Rangamati.
- ↑ খাগড়াছড়িতে অপহৃত পাঁচ বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়শিক্ষার্থী মুক্ত: পাহাড়ি ছাত্র পরিষদ. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 24 April 2025. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
- ↑ "UPDF man killed, his two sisters hurt in Rangamati gun attack". The Business Standard. 17 April 2026. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
- ↑ "UPDF leader killed, his two sisters hurt in Rangamati gun attack". unb.com.bd. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
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