Moni Swapan Dewan (born 18 May 1954) alias Major Rajesh is a Bangladesh Nationalist Party politician, ethnic Chakma, and a former member of parliament from the Chittagong Hill Tracts.[3][4] He is also the former deputy minister for Hill Tracts Affairs.[5]
He started his career as a guerilla leader for the Shanti Bahini, the armed wing of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti.[6][7][8]
Moni Swapan was a member of the Shanti Bahini during the Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict and was known as Major Rajesh.[6] He is accused of committing a massacre of settler Bengalis in the Rangamati district in 1984.[7][6]
Dewan denies the charges.[7]
Moni Swapan Dewan was appointed the Deputy Minister of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs in the 2001 to 2006 Bangladesh Nationalist Party government.[9] He called for the recognition of ethnic minority in the constitution of Bangladesh in 2006.[8]
Two out of six members of the minority community elected in the eighth parliament also made their way into the cabinet ... Moni swapan dewan, a buddhist from Southeastern Chittagong Hill Tracts was inducted as deputy minister