3 CHT seats
JSS returns to national elections after 7 years
The Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS), one of the major regional political parties in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, is returning to national electoral politics. Although the party did not contest the most recent 12th National Parliamentary Election, it will participate in the upcoming one. In the 13th National Election, the party will field candidates in all three Hill Tract constituencies, Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari. JSS has said it will announce the names of its candidates after the election schedule is declared.
One of the major regional parties in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), the Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS), is returning to national electoral politics. Although it did not take part in the most recent 12th National Parliamentary Election, the party will participate in the upcoming polls.
In the 13th National Election, the JSS will field candidates in all three constituencies of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari. The party has said that it will announce the names of its candidates once the election schedule is declared.
As the JSS does not have registration with the election commission as a political party, its candidates will contest as independents. However, all election campaigning and publicity will be conducted under the JSS banner.
On 2 December, during an event marking the 28th anniversary of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord, JSS vice-president and former member of parliament (MP) Ushatan Talukder announced the party’s intention to participate in the election. He said JSS would contest if the election is held, and that they are optimistic about winning.
Ahead of the 12th National Parliamentary Election held on 7 January 2024, Ushatan Talukder had collected nomination papers initially. However, considering the national situation at the time, he withdrew his candidature following a party decision.
In the 10th National Parliamentary Election held in 2014, Ushatan Talukder defeated Awami League’s (currently banned) candidate Dipankar Talukdar to win the Rangamati seat. JSS last contested in the 2018 (11th) National Election, where Ushatan Talukder came in second in the Rangamati constituency.
Ahead of the 12th National Parliamentary Election held on 7 January 2024, Ushatan Talukder had collected nomination papers initially. However, considering the national situation at the time, he withdrew his candidature following a party decision.
Local political sources say JSS’s declaration to contest the national polls could significantly shift electoral dynamics in the Hill Tracts. The party, which has been active for more than 50 years, indeed wields considerable influence in local politics.
Since the Awami League’s activities are currently banned, the party is effectively out of the race. Although the main contest is expected between the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami in the plains, this is not the case in the Hill Tracts. Here, JSS is likely to be one of the main contenders, and the UPDF may also pose strong competition, according to local political observers.
Local residents and party workers say that regional parties play a crucial role in determining victory or defeat in both local and national elections in the Hill Tracts. With the Awami League absent this time, their importance increases even further.
JSS was founded in 1972 as a political party in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Even before that, in the 1970 Provincial Council Election, founder of JSS, Manabendra Narayan Larma (MN Larma) won by a large margin under the banner of the ‘Chittagong Hill Tracts Tribal Welfare Council’.
Following disagreements over the Hill Tracts Accord, the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) was formed in December 1998. In 2007, a faction split from JSS to form JSS (MN Larma). In November 2017, a split in UPDF led to the formation of UPDF (Democratic).
Three other regional parties, UPDF, UPDF (Democratic), and JSS (MN Larma), have also announced they will be directly or indirectly involved in the election. Among them, UPDF and JSS (MN Larma) may field direct candidates, while UPDF (Democratic) is likely to support another party, says leaders of the regional parties.
BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami have already announced their candidates for the three constituencies in the Hill Tracts. Their candidates are already campaigning across the districts, while regional parties had not clarified their positions until now.
At the last moment before the schedule announcement, JSS has finally clarified that it will contest. The other regional parties are also expected to announce their positions soon.
The schedule for the 13th National Parliamentary Election and the referendum is expected to be announced in the second week of December.
Ushatan Talukder is likely to be the candidate in Rangamati. In Bandarban, KS Mong Marma, a member of the JSS central committee is being discussed as the party candidate. Although JSS has said it will field a candidate in Khagrachhari, it is still not known who that might be.
Election commission officials have said the EC has requested a meeting with the president before announcing the schedule, likely on 10 or 11 December. If the meeting is held on 10 December, the election schedule may be declared the following day.
The Awami League, whose activities are currently banned, has historically won the most seats in the three Hill Tract constituencies. In the four competitive elections held between 1991 and 2008, the party won in Bandarban four times, Rangamati three times and Khagrachhari three times.
However, in 2001, they lost in Rangamati and Khagrachhari to the BNP. At the time, it was widely discussed that the BNP’s path to victory had been made easier due to the support of the regional party JSS.
In the debatable elections of 2014, 2018 and 2024, Awami League candidates won in Bandarban and Khagrachhari.
JSS confident of victory again
Among the three Hill Tract districts, JSS has the strongest influence in Rangamati, where the party’s central office is located.
In the 2014 election, Ushatan Talukder won the Rangamati seat for JSS. Although he did not win in 2018, he received over 94,000 votes.
Party leaders say they will draw on their experience of 2014 victory in Rangamati. They will highlight the implementation of the Hill Tract Accord and other longstanding issues affecting the Hill Tracts in their election campaign.
According to party sources, Ushatan Talukder is likely to be the candidate in Rangamati. BNP has nominated Dipen Dewan, a former judicial officer (joint district judge) who left the judiciary for politics while, Jamaat-e-Islami has nominated lawyer Mokhter Ahmad in that seat.
In Bandarban, KS Mong Marma, a member of the JSS central committee is being discussed as the party candidate. Here, BNP’s candidate will be Saching Prue Jerry, the convenor of the Bandarban district BNP.
Jamaat’s candidate for this constituency is Abul Kalam, a lawyer and the Naib-e-Ameer of the party’s Bandarban district. However, although JSS has said it will field a candidate in Khagrachhari, it is still not known who that might be.
JSS vice-president Ushaton Talukder told Prothom Alo that JSS will participate in the upcoming national election. Once the election commission announces the schedule, the party will reveal the names of its candidates for the three constituencies in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. He added that they are hopeful of winning all three seats.