Rupayan Dewan, Founder:

Is the person who has dreamt for this organisation, first in the tail end of November 1997, while he was staying at ‘Padma’, a state VIP guest house in Dhaka, to open up a new chapter of his life by providing developmental support to the needy people through an NGO. He shared this idea with some government officials involved in the CHT peace process, who became very close to him through regular interaction. Sitting Bangladesh High Commissioner to Italy, Mr. Abdus Sobhan Sikdar and Mr. Zulfiquar Ali, the then Director, Special Affairs Division, Prime Minister’s Secretariat highly appreciated the idea and immediately provided him with necessary NGO Bureau documents for floating the cherrished NGO and had assured him to extend their all possible help..

Finally, the cherished NGO, CIPD, got founded with a group of like-minded and dedicated persons and among them Mr. Janalal Chakma and Mr. Bimalendu Chakma had been whole timers. Mr. Dewan shouldered the responsibility of general secretaryship of the founding committee. He and his family had spared two rooms of their rented house for CIPD activities as its office. Because of situational reason Mr. Dewan quitted CIPD and stopped his relationship since 2007 but CIPD still carries his legacy.

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Dhananjay Chakma, Founding President:

Son of Mr. Nilokchan Chakma, was born on 1 Sep 1931 at Marissyachar of Langodu Mouza and died on 30 April 2008 at his own residence at Rajbari road, Rangamati. He left his paralyzed wife, three sons and a daughter. One of his sons, Mr. Jasheswar Chakma, is the sitting General Secretary of CIPD.

During childhood Mr. Chakma lost his parents. He obtained scholarship in his whole student life as a good student. But, as he was orphan, he had to start his professional life and it was in the department of forest, when he was student of Sir Ashutosh College, Kanungo Para, Chittagong. Later, he changed his job, joined as agriculture extension worker under the Ministry of Works, Housing and Settlement (Irrigation). He was transferred to Water and Power Development Authority (WPDA) on 1 July 1959. After the independence of Bangladesh, WPDA renamed as Power Development Board (PDB) and he retired from PDB, Shikolbaha, Chittagong as Assistant Director (Admin) on 1 Sep 1989.

Mr. Dhananjay Chakma had name and fame in the society for his unchallengeable integrity and piousness. He was associated with many social and religious organisations. CIPD, undoubtedly, lost a great person like him.

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Mr. Jana Lal Chakma, Founding Executive Board Member:

Born on 8 February, 1958, started his career in 1985 at Kassalong Degree College, Baghaichari Upazila, Rangamati Hill District as a lecturer in Economics. During this period his organising capability had made him very popular in the valley.

He has cherished his immense love towards disadvantaged and distressed rural people in CHT since his youth and to fulfill his desire he took the advantage of foundation of CIPD and became its founding Executive Board member. As a whole timer he served without any benefits. He was general secretary of CIPD from 1 May 2005 to 4 May 2011 and its CEO from May 1, 2005 to as of now.

In his second phase of life he started his professional career in the development sector, in July 1999, as “Coordinator and Research Associate”, of a “Grameen Trust” funded project, under the title “Evaluation & Monitoring of Micro-finance Activities in CHT”. In 2002 he worked as the micro credit analyst; as a CHT consultant, to review activity impact assessment of a project undertaken by Australian Government through a Bangladeshi regional NGO.

He has taken numerous training on development issues and on NGO management from national and international organisations; travelled Combodia in 2004 in a human rights international standard training programme organised by ICES-Srilanka & MRG-London and also attended to ICIMOD sponsored regional workshop on biodiversity and benefit sharing for the eastern Himalayas held in Katmandu, Nepal in 2005. He also participated to a 2-week long study tour to Kalimantan, Indonesia in March 2008.

Mr. Chakma has expertise in community development in multi-racial and post-conflict situation through NGO activities. He is also an expert in micro-finance management and research. When Mr. Rupayan Dewan, founding general secretary had disassociated CIPD for situational reason; it is he who has been guiding and guarding the CIPD for which it has survived and has gradually been progressing in most unfriendly situation. It is his leadership quality and wisdom which has kept the CIPD leadership united and achieve the trust from all concerned quarters, which has no scope to undermine.

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Late Mr. Bimalendu Chakma Sunny, EC member of the first EC and active organiser till his death.

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Mr. Jaseshwar Chakma, EC member of the first EC and sitting general secretary.