With a pledge to establish peace, harmony and constitutional rights among all ethnic groups living in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the new social organization “CHT Harmony Alliance (CHA)” has officially debuted at the Maulana Akram Khan Hall of the National Press Club today, Monday (October 27, 2025) at 10 am.

The press conference was presided over by Engineer Thoiching Maung Shak, who has also been appointed as the convener of the organization’s newly formed 19-member Central Committee.

Mehedi Hassan, founder of CHT Research Foundation, and Mohammad Shamsuddin, convener of the Citizens’ Council, were present as special guests at the event. Students for Sovereignty convener Ziaul Haque.

The speciality of the event was the spontaneous participation of various ethnicities living in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The organizers said that this alliance is committed to ensuring the collective representation, constitutional rights and harmony of all the 14 major ethnicities including Khumi, Shak, Lusai, Pankhwa, Bam, Khyang, Mro, Gurkha, Tanchangya and smaller communities and Tripura, Marma, Chakma and Bengali. Representatives of all these communities were present at the event.

The 19-member central committee of the organization was announced at the press conference. Engineer Thoiching Maung Shak was declared the convener, Ikhtiar Emon as member secretary and Paishikhai Marma as spokesperson. Shaheen Alam, Tanmoy Chowdhury, Nila Maung Shak, etc. were also present in the committee.

In his speech as the chief guest, Mr. Tarique Rahman said, “It is the moral responsibility of all of us to protect the sovereignty, independence and harmony of the country, including the Chittagong Hill Tracts. I believe that the unity that the CHT Harmony Alliance has built among patriots and multi-ethnicity will open new horizons of peace and harmony in the Hill Tracts.”

In his speech as the president, Engineer Thoiching Maung Shak said, “We do not believe in any politics of division. Our goal is to move forward on the path of unity, peace and development with all the people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Brotherhood based on humanity, not division, will be our main strength.”

Journalists from various print and electronic media, representatives of various social organizations and members of civil society were present at the event.