RAJA DEVASISH ROY
Raja Devasish was born on 9 April, 1959, a year before the Kaptai Dam was built. He was installed on 25 November, 1977. He was educated in Chittagong, Rangamati, the United Kingdom and Australia. After completing his Barrister-at-Law, from Lincoln’s Inn, London, the Raja enrolled in the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. He has represented the people of his circle in different national and international forums. At the request of both parties, he facilitated the final round of talks between the Jana Samhati Samiti and the Government of Bangladesh, which led to the signing of the Accord on 2 December, 2009.
In 2008, he was a member of the Interim Caretaker Government of Bangladesh as a Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser. He was in charge of the Ministry of Environment & Forests and the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs. He has led the delegation of the Government of Bangladesh in several international conferences, including at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Poland and in the Convention on Biological Diversity in Germany. During his tenure in government, judges’ courts were established in the Chittagong Hill Tracts for the first time and mobile network was extended to the region. It was also during this time that the Rat Menace – caused by the flowering of bamboo – took place, requiring special measures to deal with the destruction of food crops. Some of these measures are still continuing.
The Raja has played a leading role in promoting the formation and capacity raising of local voluntary organizations and other civil society bodies in development, culture, environment and human rights. He was the founding chairperson of the Hill Tracts NGO Forum, a body of local NGOs of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
In November, 2009, Raja Devasish was elected as the representative of the Indigenous Peoples of Asia to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues for the term 2011-2013. In December, 2009, the Raja, along with leaders and officials of the government, and members of civil society, represented the Government of Bangladesh in the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Denmark. Raja Devasish was also a leading member of the Global Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus at the conference.
RANI TATU ROY
The wife of Raja Devasish Roy was the Late Rani Tatu Roy, daughter of the Late Tripura Kanta Chakma, freedom fighter and retired Police Officer of the Rangi clan from Kaokhali, Rangamati. Rani Tatu did her Master’s degree in English from Dhaka University and used to assist the Raja in his duties during her lifetime and share many important responsibilities. She died in 1990.
RAJKUMAR TRIBHUBAN & RAJKUMARI ARADHANA
Rajkumar Tribhuvan was installed as the Chakma Yuvaraj in February, 2003. Yuvaraj Tribhuvan studies English Law in Dhaka, while Rajkumari Aradhana studies in the 9th grade at an International School in Bangkok, Thailand.
RAJKUMAR NANDIT ROY
Rajkumar Nandit Roy is the youngest son of late Raja Nalinaksha Roy. He has retired from service with the United Nations World Food Programme and is now working for the UNDP’s Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Facility in Rangamati.
RAJKUMARI CHANDRA ROY-HENRIKSEN
Rajkumari Chandra Kalindi Desiree Roy was born on 23 November 1956. Her early education was at Saint Mary’s School and then Saint Scholastica’s School in Chittagong city. She did her LLB from Punjab University Pakistan and her LLM from Washington University.
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