Chittagong Hill Tracts Manual 1900

The Chittagong Hill Tracts Regulation, 1900—often referred to as the CHT Manual 1900—is the foundational legal document that defined the Chittagong Hill Tracts as a distinct administrative region under British rule.

Enacted on 17 January 1900, this Regulation recognized the unique social structure of the hills and established a special governance system based on Circle Chiefs, Headmen, and customary laws. It restricted the application of general laws from the plains and provided legal mechanisms to regulate land, migration, and administration in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Although more than a century old, the Regulation remains central to understanding present-day land disputes, administrative control, and Indigenous rights in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Many later laws and political debates continue to reference or depart from the principles laid down in this document.

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