Why Pinaki Bhattacharjee’s Proposal for the CHT Is a National Security Risk

Reading Time: 3 minutes Vlogger and commentator Pinaki Bhattacharjee’s latest proposal to grant a form of autonomy to the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is not just misguided — it is dangerously naïve. His reasoning rests on shallow historical references and flawed analogies that, if taken seriously, would imperil Bangladesh’s sovereignty and national cohesion. The CHT is a sensitive strategic frontier region, not an experimental zone for political romanticism. Misreading History for Political Posturing Mr Bhattacharjee’s attempt to use pre-1971 administrative arrangements as a justification for autonomy reflects a poor grasp of both history and statecraft. Bangladesh emerged through a painful war of liberation that redrew the political and legal framework of this land once and for all. Any selective appeal to the pre-1971 period ignores the fact that the CHT’s status was decisively settled within the sovereign boundaries of Bangladesh. The 1997 CHT Peace Accord remains the legitimate and binding