Mong Raja Paihala Prue Chowdhury was killed yesterday as a bus carrying him plunged into a roadside ditch at Patachhara near Ramgarh in Khagrachhari district.
The Raja's son Saching Prue Chowdhury along with 23 other passengers of the bus was injured in the accident.
The cremation ceremony of Mong Raja will be held on Monday.
Crown prince Saching Prue will be the new Mong Raja.
The Mong Raja returned to Dhaka on Monday night after a 12-day tour of Australia at the invitation of UNDP.
The 55-year-old chief of Mong Circle along with his son boarded a Khagrachhari-bound bus of Soudia in the capital Tuesday night.
The bus fell into a ditch at about 6:00am yesterday when the bus driver lost control over the vehicle, leaving the Mong Raja and Maleka Begum, a passenger, dead on the spot.
Injured Saching was taken to Khagrachhari Military Hospital with minor injuries. He received first aid there.
The Mong Raja is survived by his wife Madhavi Lata Chowdhury, son Saching Prue, daughters Uma Ching Chowdhury, 26, and Unu Ching Chowdhury, 23.
President Prof Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed expressed deep shock at the death of Paihala Prue Chowdhury.
The Mong Raja's body was brought to his house where people from all walks of life gathered to pay homage to him in the afternoon.
Khagrachhari Hill District Council Chairman Monindra Lal Tripura, Deputy Commissioner AKM Khairul Alam, Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammad Qaiumuzzaman Khan, former Awami League lawmaker Dipankar Talukder, Khagrachhari Municipality Mayor Mohammad Joynal Abedin, and Marma Sangathan Oikya Parishad Secretary Babushi Chowdhury were present.
LIFE SKETCH OF PAIHALA PRUE
After the death of the then Mong king and Paihala Prue Chowdhury's uncle Neuprue Sain Chowdhury in 1984, the government recognised Paihala Prue as Neuprue's nominee, local sources said.
Paihala Prue was working as the district information officer at that time.
Nehar Bala Devi, the wife of Neuprue Sain Chowdhury, remained the Mong Circle Chief from 1984 to 1991.
Paihala Prue became the Mong Circle Chief, locally known as Mong Raja, in 1991.
Unika Devi, the stepdaughter of Neuprue Sain Chowdhury, filed a case with the High Court challenging Paihala Prue's legality as the Mong king.
Paihala Prue won the legal battle in 1998 and was recognised as the Mong Raja by the government.
Later, Unika Devi filed a writ with the Supreme Court but lost once again.