Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said her government wants to develop the whole country in a balanced way as the government gives importance to the upliftment of people’s socioeconomic status.
She came up with this plan while inaugurating the 4000th Para Kendra (Village Centre) at Mitingachhari in Kaptai upazila of Rangamati district through a videoconference.
CHT Affairs Ministry and the Unicef jointly organised the programme at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, UNB reports.
Recalling the signing of the CHT Peace Treaty during 1996-2001 regime, the Prime Minister said a major part of that agreement has already been implemented and the rest of it will surely be implemented.
Regarding the land dispute issue, she said her government has formed the Land Commission and if the Commission can sit regularly the problem will be solved.
Hasina put emphasis on adopting modern methods in cultivation. "We want to establish food-processing industries here. This will create jobs and ping foreign currencies through export."
She asked the people of the CHT region to maintain peace in the region as this is a perquisite to development.
Sheikh Hasina assured the inhabitants of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) that they will enjoy the ownership of land there as people in other regions of the country do.
"The land ownership won't be determined by pitish-era laws," she said.
"This is not possible to develop the country keeping one region neglected, we're giving a special attention to the development of the neglected areas of the country... the overall development of the CHT area is the responsibility of ours," Sheikh Hasina said.
Chaired by State Minister for CHT Affairs Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing, the inaugural ceremony was addressed, among others, by PM’sInternational Affairs Adviser Dr. Gowher Rizvi, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on CHT Affairs Ministry RAMObaidul Muktadir Chowdhury and Unicef Representative in Bangladesh Edouard Beigbeder.
CHT Affairs secretary Naba Bikram Kishore Tripura delivered the welcome speech.
The Prime Minister also launched a book titled ‘Chittagong Hill Tracts: Journey towards the Peace and Prosperity’ from the programme.
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