2024-08-14 07:48:47
Advisor on Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Supradeep Chakma said, the main work of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs will be to build a country of equality along with the restoration of equal rights for all. He said that it would not be right to label the hilly areas as backward communities.
Supradeep Chakma, the newly appointed advisor of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs, said these things in an exchange meeting with journalists at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Monday (August 12).
Chittagong Hill Tracts Adviser Supradeep Chakma also said that the interim government has been formed to make the society non-discriminatory.
He said that the Chittagong Hill Tracts were deprived since the British period. I was admitted to Dhaka University in 1979, when there were no hill students around. Since then I thought that I will not go back to the mountain area, I will stay in the mainstream. I will pull the deprived people. That desire must now be fulfilled.
Adviser Supradeep Chakma also said that mango, pineapple and papaya cultivation is now being done on a large scale in hilly areas. It is the source of income and livelihood of the people here. He said, half of the world’s people live around us. People here believe in development.
He said, inclusivity is very necessary for us now. Adviser on Chittagong Hill Tracts Supradeep Chakma expressed the opinion that it will be possible to develop here with the joint efforts of all.
About the implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Agreement, advisor Supradeep Chakma said, the 1997 Hill Tracts Agreement was basically a negotiation-based agreement.
He said, I don’t call it a peace agreement, I call it a mountain agreement. The government should be more flexible on this issue.
He also said that most of the people were willing to implement the mountain agreement. Everyone believes in peace. So it is natural that everyone will take the good sides in the hope of peace.
He said, I have given instructions to the concerned people of my ministry for the development work of the country.
The hill adviser also said that the deprived among the hill dwellers should be brought forward. All hill Bengalis want development. So everyone collectively expects development. Everyone should work together for the development of the country.
At this time, among others, the Secretary of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs AKM Shamimul Haque Chiddiki, Additional Secretary Md. Aminul Islam, Additional Secretary Pradeep Kumar Mohottam, Joint Secretary Md. Jahangir Alam NDC, Joint Secretary Sajal Kanti Banik, Deputy Secretary Kangkan Chakma, Deputy Secretary Mohammad Shariful Islam and others were present.
Earlier, Chittagong Hill Tracts Adviser Supradeep Chakma prayed for the peace of the departed souls of the brave martyrs of the Great Liberation War at the Savar Memorial this morning and paid tribute to them by placing wreaths on the monument and later paid tribute to the Language Martyrs at the Jatiya Shahid Minar.
Dhaka/Hassan/NH