Kalpana Chakma was known as an active human rights activist in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. She was the organizing secretary of the Hill Women's Federation in Bangladesh. She had been criticizing Bangladesh Army repressions and harassment of the indigenous men and women. She had specially been working for the rights of the indigenous women and protesting Bangladesh Army's repression on the indigenous population by organizing conferences, seminar's and meetings in various parts of the CHT. She had also been lending her strong support to the autonomy oriented movement in the CHT spearheaded by the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti, then paramilitary separatist organization of the CHT's indigenous people. Since the CHT peace treaty, which was signed on 2 December 1997, the organisation has disarmed and are now a political party working for the interests of the indigenous people. The Government of Bangladesh viewed the organization as a threat to the sovereignty of Bangladesh. In the general parliamentary elections of Bangladesh, held on 12 June 1996, she took active part in electioneering in favor of the independent candidate, Bijay Ketan Chakma. He held the post of senior presidium member of Pahari Gana Parishad. She was abducted few hours before the seventh national elections.