Kuki-Chin National Front

The red-colured areas in this map of the Chittagong Hill Tracts indicate to the proposed Kuki-Chin State. Most of the territories demanded by KNF fall under Rangamati and Bandarban districts

Kuki-Chin National Front was established in 2017 by members of the Bawm people in Bangladesh with two thousand personnel.[3] The Bawm community is mostly Christian and accuses the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti of discrimination.[3] The founding president of the Kuki-Chin National Front is Nathan Bom, a graduate of fine arts from the University of Dhaka.[3] He was previously involved with the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti's student wing, the Pahari Chhatra Parishad, and founded the Kuki-Chin National Development Organization in 2008 and renamed to Kuki-Chin National Volunteers.[3][1] The Kuki-Chin National Volunteers would become the Kuki-Chin National Front.[1] Vanchun Lian Master, a vice-principal of the government primary school, is the chief of staff of the Kuki-Chin National Front.[4]

In June 2022, the Kuki-Chin National Front attacked a camp of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti killing three in Belaichhari Upazila, Rangamati District.[5] In October, tourists were sent back from Bandarban District in preparation of an operation of Bangladesh Army and other security forces against Kuki-Chin National Front.[6] In November 2022, Bangladesh Army launched a drive against Kuki-Chin National Front which saw 270 Kuki people seek refuge in Mizoram of India.[7][8]

In February 2023, Rapid Action Battalion arrested 17 personnel of Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya and three members of Kuki-Chin National Front after a day long gunfight.[9] They also recovered AK-22 rifles among other weapons and bomb making equipment.[10] Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya paid 1.7 million to Kuki-Chin National Front for weapons.[11] By January 2023, 14 members of Kuki-Chin National Front were detained.[12]

Kuki-Chin National Army
Leader	Nathan Bom
Chief of Staff	Vanchun Lian Master[4]
Foundation	2017
Dates of operation	2017 (2017) – Present (Present)
Country	Bangladesh
Allegiance	Kuki-Chin National Front
Motives	The creation of a separate Bawm state in the nine upazilas of Rangamati and Bandarban district
Active regions	Chittagong Hill Tracts
Status	Active
Size	Couple of hundred
Means of revenue	Terrorism, robbery
Allies	Kachin Independence Army Karen National Liberation Army Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya (alleged)
Opponents	Government of Bangladesh Bangladesh Army Rapid Action Battalion Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti
Designated as a terrorist group by	Bangladesh[13][14]

Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA) is the armed wing of Kuki-Chin National Front.[15] It has provided training to Islamist Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya in Chittagong Hill Tracts.[3][16] It is believed the training was provided for monetary reasons.[17]

From 11 to 17 January 2023, the Bandarban District administration banned tourists in the district due a drive against Kuki-Chin National Army by security forces in the district.[18] A bullet hit body of Kuki-Chin National Army personnel was found Ruma Upazila on 30 January 2023 after a gunfight with security forces.[19] Another gunfight took place between Rapid Action Battalion and the Kuki-Chin National Army.[20] On 12 March, the Assam Rifles detained two members of the Kuki-Chin National Army in Mirozam.[21] In March 2023, Kuki-Chin National Army attacked a convoy of Bangladesh Army that was escorting medical convoy for expectant mothers in Chittagong Hill Tracts.[22][23] A master warrant officer of Bangladesh Army, Nazim Uddin, in the ambush and two soldiers were injured.[22][24] The Kuki-Chin National Army kidnapped 12 workers constructing the Thanchi road and released some of them after getting their ransom.[22] It also kidnapped a retired sergeant of Bangladesh Army who was working as a contractor on road construction.[25] In April 2023, eight people were killed in a shootout between the United People's Democratic Front (Democratic), a fraction of the United People's Democratic Front, and Kuki-Chin National Army in Rowangchhari Upazila, Bandarban District.[15]

On 17 May 2023 two soldiers of the Bangladesh Army were killed and two officers were injured in Ruma upazila, Bandarban. The incident occurred as a result of an explosion caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) and unforeseen gunfire from the Kuki-Chin National Army.[26]