Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed said that if we can give attention to the development of Chattogram Hill Tracts then the country will benefit a lot.
He said, Chattogram Hill Tracts are definitely part of our country. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came to power in 1996 and signed the Hill Peace Agreement in 1997. That too without any involvement of third country or party.
He also said that there are many opportunities in Chattogram Hill Tracts to contribute to the economy of Bangladesh. There are various tourist areas where many people go and enjoy the nature. So I want to say that if we focus on the development of Chattogram Hill Tracts instead of wasting time on things that create unrest, the country will benefit a lot.
He said this while addressing as the chief guest at the inauguration of Chattogram Center for Regional Studies, Bangladesh (CCRSBD) and the regional seminar on the speed, nature and way of overcoming the ongoing crisis in Chattogram Hill Tracts at BGMEA's Mahbub Ali Auditorium on Thursday (August 3).
The seminar titled Dynamics of Ongoing Crisis in Chattogram Hill Tracts and Ways Forward was presided over by CCRSBD President and former Vice-Chancellor of Chattogram University Professor Anwarul Azim Arif.
CU Law Department Dean Dr. Abdullah Farooq presented the key-note paper in the seminar moderated by CCRSBD Executive Director CU Political Science Department Professor Dr. Mahfuz Parvez.
The panel discussant in the seminar was Begum Rokeya Medalist Shovarani Tripura, President of CU Teachers Association Mostafizur Rahman Siddiqui, family member of the chief of Khagrachari Mong circle, Rajkumar Twin Inpr Marma, director of FBCCI Munal Mahbub, Security Analyst Major (Retd) Md. Emdadul Islam and others.
TheLand Minister said that Chattogram is a very important port city of Bangladesh. We have some traditions of our own. Economically, we have always played a leading role over the rest of the cities and towns of the country. There was a time when we were more important than the capital Dhaka. There has been a gap between us over time. We could definitely be in a better place than where we came from. A city still needs infrastructure development. It required an international airport, five star hotels and flyovers, highways. When I was the president of Chattogram Chamber from 2005-08, there were many speeches and seminars. Many times I have protested for infrastructure development. But the then BNP government did not do that. Not only Chattogram anywhere in Bangladesh has not developed like that.
He said to the young generation, you have to come forward. Don't waste too much time on Facebook. Facebook was not only opened for Bangladesh. Facebook, YouTube worldwide. How many people in Europe and America are on Facebook all the time? They do some writing. It will be better if we think about moving our life forward with practical thinking. We are providing employment to the youth. We are offering startup program opportunities. There are many opportunities in Chattogram. A prerequisite for these is political stability and commitment.
The minister said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has floated the country in the tide of development. She cares about the country and its people. She is well aware of the rise in commodity prices. She is trying to keep the market stable by adopting various aspects so that the common people do not suffer. Today there is some turmoil in our public life due to the turmoil caused by war all over the world due to rising commodity prices. But that is temporary. So I will tell BNP not to create confusion in the country. The country has developed considerably and the people of the country are very peaceful.