CHTDF operates in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, a hilly area in the south-east Bangladesh that consists of three districts – Khagrachari, Rangamati and Bandarban. The region that has a population of 1.6 million, which forms one percent of the national population, is a home to 11 different ethnic groups, in addition to the Bengali community. Each ethnic group retains a distinct language, culture, and tradition.  

Being the only extensively hilly area in Bangladesh, the Hill Tracts are geographically distinct from most other parts of the country, characterized by very steep, rugged mountainous terrain and dense jungle.