Birendra Kishore Roaza

Birendra Kishore Roaza (B.K Roaza) was a social activist , politician and  A member of the Legislative Assembly(MLA). A leading activist of the rights of the people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, he was one of the founding leader of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (United People's Party of the Chittagong Hill Tracts) and its armed wing, the Shanti Bahini along with M.N Larma. 

Birendra Kishore Roaza born in 1913 AD and 1323 Tipra Era in Thakurchara Tipra Village, one of the oldest localities of the Tipra people who speaks Kokborok Language, located three kilometers south from Khagrachari City.
His Father Sorot Chandra Roaza  was a headman of a Mouza. He was also a poet and Astrologer. At that time Sorot Chandra Roaza's family was noble and influential. Birendra Kishore Roaza was the only child of that family. 
Birendra Kishore Roaza was known as B.K Roaza among people.

Education 

The Chittagong Hill Tracts region was a very neglected and neglected region during the British period. Especially the communication and education system was so worst. For taking institutional education B. K. Roaza had to live in exile from the age of 7. He passed Entrance Exam from Rangamati High School in 1932 AD, Intermediate from Chittagong Government College in 1934 AD and Bachelor Degree from Calcutta University in 1936 AD. B, K Roaza is a The first person to be graduate among Tripuri ethnic group living in Bangladesh.

Birendra Kishore Roaza was married to Dhonirong Roaza. He was the father of 5 sons and 5 daughters in his family life. 5 sons are- Jotimoy Roaza, Jagat Joti Roaza, Debdatta Roaza, Bir Bikram Roaza, Kollan Kishore Roaza.

5 daughters - Thaichok Lokkhi Roaza, Kumkum Roaza, Archana Roaza, Nirmala Roaza, Kollani Roaza.

Earlier of his career ,B. K Roaza started teaching at Rangamati High School. After teaching for a few years, he applied to the King Commission under the British Government for a government job. During World War 2, He appered as a candidate for exam at the King Commission. At that time, the District Superintendent of Chittagong Hill Tracts was a Bureaucrat named Niblet. He was also the chairman of the examination board.

During the interview at the King Commission, District Superintendent Niblet rudely told B. K Roaza "You people are still primitive and belong to that society. You cannot be recommended for the job at the King Commission." 
Mr. Niblet had previously worked as a palace caretaker of Tripura Maharaja for Rs 300/-.
B.K Roaza protested at such disrespectful remark of Mr. Niblet and replied that "You were previously employed as the caretaker of the Raj Palace of the Maharaja of Tripura.  Later you were also fired.  Your educational qualification is only matriculate. If you can become a district superintendent with this qualification. And we are graduates, will we not be eligible for the King Commission?. I don't want a job" he went outside furiously and Niblet came to offer a job but rejected by B.K Roaza.
When the current Khagrachari Government High School was Middle School, he kept the school alive by teaching unpaid.

From student life, B.K Roaza involved with student politics. He was actively involve in presenting the appeal for the improvement of the land and people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, whom were neglected and deprived. 
He was arrested for the first time for political reasons before the British Government left India in 1947. Then in 1949, he was temporarily imprisoned by the Pakistan Government for the second time due to the protest against the annexation of the Independent Tripura State and the formation of Parbattya Jana Sheba Sangha.

Another reason for this arrest is that Mohalchari Police found national flag of the independent state of Tripura with a sunburst between red and yellow was found kept inside the box during the search of B.K Roaza's home at Thakurchara.

He was the first indigenous MLA( Member of Legislative Assembly)  from the hill tracts who won in 1954. Before M.N Larma elected as a independent candidate from Chittagong Hill Tracts, B.K Roaza was the first to be elected from Indigenous community.

Involvement with political, social and cultural organizations of Chittagong region: 

B.K Roaza knew that development activities cannot be accelerated if political awareness cannot be created among the people living in Chittagong region. For this purpose, Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti was formed in 1972. Birendra Kishore Roaza was the first and the founding Prresident of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti.

He was also one of the founding leaders of the "Tribal Convention".

In 1954, he was elected as an independent candidate from the northern part of Chittagong in the United Front elections of the state of Pakistan. At that time, he presented the "Public Education Expansion Project" to the East Pakistan Provincial Council as an elected public representative of Chittagong Hill Tracts for the expansion of education in the hill area. When this 'project' was approved by the Ayub government in 1960, Chittagong Hill Tracts got the expansion of primary education system.

People of the hill tracts had no books, no documents to help them in doing justice according to their social, national custom and folklore. As a result, complications were created in the courts of Chittagong. In order to solve this problem, Birendra Kishore Roaza convinced the Speaker of Pakistan National Assembly and famous leader Mr. Fazlul Quader Chowdhury  and with the cooperation of the Ramgarh Sub-Divisional Administrator Mr. Wahab Sahib, politician Mr. Noor Ahmad, Nader Banshi Debbarma and Dayabushan Tripura , B.K Roaza created “Welfare Officer” post for three sub division of Hill Tracts.

Bangladesh Tripura Kalyan Sangsad or BTKS established in April 1965. Birendra Kishore Roaza was among those who contributed the most in establishing this organization. He was the founder president of BTKS. 

In 1978, as a leader of the Tripura Community, he went to met the President of Bangladesh Ziaur Rahman at Bangabhaban and obtained a grant of Tk 10 lakh to speed up the activities of the BTKS.

PCJSS( Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti) is well known in worldwide today. Birendra Kishore Roaza was one of the fonder who contribution to the establishment of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti. He was the first founding president of this organization.The issue of why he was not kept in charge of the organization later is still unresolved.

In spite of his political and social activities, Birendra Kishore Roaza performed important duties as a "Judge" in the Government Judiciary Department on his merits. He was appointed by government   as "Honorary Magistrate" of Khagrachari Sub-division in 1974 AD and held the post for five years.

During his work as "Divisional Honorary Magistrate", the people of Khagrachari district were benefited by getting legal helps on the field of folklore and tribal customs.

In the past, the vast swamp of Pankhaya Para located in Khagrachari was reedy. There was no way to cultivate lands. So B.K Roaza decided to help people in that area. With the help of Rajchandra Chowdhury, a leader from Marma Indigenous Community, Birendra Kishore Roaza created a "Canal System". With that canal system, he created the cultivating field so that people can cultivate properly.

Contribution to Khagrachari Govt. High School
Khagrachari Govt. High School was created by Sorot Chandra Roaza, father of B.K Roaza.

B.K Roaza served Present Khagrachari Govt High School as unpaid headmaster for three years. He also served as Secretary for another three years to keep alive this school. During that time, the rule was that A headmaster holds the Secretary of School Management post at the same time. But B.K Roaza had to stay extra three years at the request of local administration for the development of this school. B.K Roaza performed duty unpaid.

Birendra Kishore Roaza went and meet with Ataur Rahman, The Chief Minister of East Pakistan and convinced him to make this junior school into full fledged school (During that time, Khagrachari Govt High school used to be junior school).

Ataur Rahman accepted and made this school into full fledged school. 

Contribution to Khagrachari Govt College and Bandarban Govt College

Birendra Kishore Roaza was an intelligent person who contributed to expand education in hill tracts.

Birendra Kishore Roaza took an initiative to convince President Ziaur Rahman for the development of Khagrachari Govt College and Bandarban Govt College. As a result, Former President Ziaur Rahman donated 25lakh to Khagrachari Govt College and 20lakh to Bandarban Govt College.