Chakma Circle

The Chakma Circle is led by a hereditary chieftain called a raja, whose role encompasses judicial, administrative, ceremonial, legal and social responsibilities.

[6] The legendary raja Bijoy Giri (c. 1630), who is believed to have migrated the ancestors of the Chakma people north of the Naf River.

[7] Through intermarriages with the Rakhine people, the Chakmas eventually converted to Buddhism.

[7][9] The circles were codified into law with the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regulations, 1900, which eased revenue collection and administrative burdens on British authorities by delegating tax collection, land administration management and social arbitration responsibilities to the chieftains.

[11] This administrative structure remained in place until 1964, when the introduction of local self-government abolished the special status of these circles and brought local administration under the control of the central government.