Bandarban member of parliament Rajputra Saching Prue Jerry has been sworn in as a full minister for the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs, prompting celebrations across the district. The appointment was reported on August 21, 2026, and has raised expectations of development and public welfare among people in Bandarban’s seven upazilas and 34 unions.

Jerry was elected to parliament for a second time in the February 2026 election as a BNP nominee, after a long political career. He previously won the February 1996 election as a BNP candidate, but Bir Bahadur U Shwe Sing won the rerun held in June that year. Jerry later lost as an independent candidate in 2001 and received 51,540 votes in the 2008 national election, losing by about 19,000 votes.

Local BNP leaders welcomed the appointment, saying it had energized residents and party workers. They expressed hope that Jerry would promote communal harmony, treat all ethnic groups equally and ensure development benefits reach no community. His father, Aung Shwe Prue Chowdhury, had served as deputy minister for food, civil aviation and tourism under Ziaur Rahman’s government.