Three months after the change of government, the government has finally reconstituted the three hill district councils on an interim basis. These orders were issued in three separate notifications signed by Tasleema Begum, Senior Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs on Thursday (November 7) by order of the President declaring the cancellation of the council formed on December 30, 2020.
A 15-member interim council has been reconstituted in Rangamati with retired district agriculture officer Kajal Talukdar as the chairman. Kajal Talukder is said to be the elder brother of District BNP President Dipan Talukder.
Meanwhile, there has been public anger and frustration over the reconstituted Rangamati Interim District Council.
According to the notification, under the authority of the Hill District Council Act, the government has reconstituted the Interim Council of Rangamati Hill District Council. This council will perform all duties as per the provisions until further orders.
The other members of the reconstituted Rangamati Interim Hill District Council are - Deb Prasad Dewan (Baghaichari), Pranati Ranjan Khisa (Naniarchar), Pratul Dewan (Sadar), Varun Vikas Dewan (Sadar), Kysing Mong (Kaptai), Naupru Marma (Sadar), Daniel Lal Muan Pankhowa (Bilaichari), Rangabi Tanchangya (Sadar), Sagarika Roaja (Sadar), Dayal Das (Naniarchar), Md. Habib Azam (Sadar), Minhaj Mursheed (Longdu), Vaishali Chakma (Sadar) and Lutfunnesa Begum (Sadar).
Meanwhile, there has been an angry public reaction to the chairman and members of the reconstituted Interim Zilla Parishad in Rangamati. Allegations of discrimination and nepotism have been raised. A strong storm of protest and criticism has spread through social media including Facebook.
It can be seen that the law says to form a council with a representative from each upazila, but no one has been taken from Barkal, Jurachhari, Rajasthani and Kaukhali upazilas of the district. On the contrary, 9 out of 15 members including the chairman are from Rangamati Sadar Upazila.
Besides, only 5 women members have been taken and there are several close relatives of the hill advisor. Among them, Talpibahak of the mountain advisor has also been appointed. Besides, those who were acceptable to the people, eminent and well-known whose names were in the discussion-proposal, are none of them in the reconstituted council. On the contrary, those who have been appointed, none of them were in the discussion-proposal. Most of the members, except a few, are unknown to the public, unacceptable and controversial. Without taking any representative from four upazilas, the disparity created by filling the vacancies of those upazilas from Sadar can never be acceptable to the people.
Rangabi Tanchangya, nominated to the new interim council, is the wife of former interim district council member and corrupt district Awami League leader Remliana Pankhwa's elder brother Lal Chowak Pankhwa, nominated by the fascist Awami government. Many comments have been noticed on social media posts stating that people have rejected the interim reconstituted council of Rangamati Hill District Parishad with such controversial people. As the proposed candidates also did not have names, many people strongly condemned and protested.
