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RANGAMATI, Mar 11 (BDNEWS): A Government-ADB-UNDP team visited Chittagong Hill Tracts to observe the programme "Promotion of Development and Confidence Building in the Chittagong Hill Tracts" run by Bangladesh government and UNDP.
The five-member team comprised of ERD Secretary Ismail Zabiullah, Secretary of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Ministry Khan M Ibrahim Hossain, ERD Joint Secretary (UN) M Mokhlesur Rahman, Country-Director of Asian Development Bank (ADB) Hua Du and Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in Bangladesh Larry Maramis.
On the first day of their two-day visit, members of the team Friday met the Deputy Commissioner of Rangamati Gazi Mohammad Julhash, the Chairman of Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council Jyotirindra Bodhipriya (Shantu) Larma, and the Chairman of Rangamati Hill District Council Manik Lal Dewan for their feedbacks on the UNDP-Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Facility (CHTDF) projects.
The $50-million dollar five-year project was officially signed on December 15 2005, aiming to facilitate an environment of harmony and opportunity for sustainable people-oriented development in the CHT. The overall objectives of the project are: building capacity of the CHT communities for self-reliance, building capacities of the CHT institutions for development, promoting socio-economic opportunities and building confidence for long-term peace in the region. Till date, 16 upazilas in the CHT have been brought under the project activities.
The team also visited a para (community in a hill village), Kandebchhara of Rangamati town at Balukhali union, to see the handloom industry and pineapple cultivation by the villagers with money from the CHTDF project. The secretaries to the government asked various questions to confirm that the villagers are well aware of the ongoing project.
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