Dhaka: Just as the fratricidal conflict has stopped in the two eras of the Peace Treaty, so the peace has brought about harmony, prosperity and development in the CHT. This was stated by the experts at a roundtable discussion titled 'Harmony, Prosperity and Development: Chattogram Hill Tracts in the 21st Century' at Hotel Amari in the capital on Sunday (January 16) morning.
Planning Minister MA Mannan, who was the chief guest at the event, said, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been making every effort to plan and implement the development work. Her position is clear in the role that the Prime Minister has been playing since the signing of the peace agreement. She (the Prime Minister) has also instructed us to take up more and more projects in the hilly areas. We are also making various plans, whenever the project comes to us, we pass it quickly. '
The Planning Minister further said, “The per capita expenditure on development of Chattogram Hill Tracts is much higher than other parts of the country. The government is determined to continue this trend of development in the future.
"Soon Chattogram Hill Tracts will be a symbol of wealth, peace and prosperity of the country," said Chattogram Hill Tracts Affairs Minister Bir Bahadur Ushaising. "To achieve peace and prosperity, we must all work together, openly and in the public interest," he said.
Bir Bahadur Ushaisingh said, “After the independence of the country, Bangabandhu visited the Chattogram Hill Tracts and took initiative to bring the backward people forward. As part of it, he formed the Chattogram Hill Tracts Development Board. The present government is working considering this region as important for the country, which is benefiting all the hill people.
The panelists at the roundtable discussion jointly organized by Bhorer Kagoj and ICLDS were Aroma Dutta MP from reserved women's seat, Naba Vikram Kishore Tripura, former chairman of Chattogram Hill Tracts Development Board, ICLDS chairman Ambassador Mohammad Zamir, ICLDS executive director Major General (Rtd) Md. Abdur Rashid, Former Chairman of University Grants Commission Prof. Abdul Mannan, Chairman of Chattogram Hill Tracts Development Board Nikhil Kumar Chakma, Former Ambassador Major General M Ashab Uddin NDC and Professor of Political Science Department of Chattagram University Dr. Mahfuz Parvez.
Shyamal Dutta, editor of Bhorer Kagoj, moderated the round table discussion.