CHT development
Our Correspondent, Khagrachhari
June 21: A half-day barricade programme was observed yesterday in Matiranga Upazila of the district demanding cancellation of the decision of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to exclude Matiranga from the development plan.
All-party Nagorik Committee has called barricade programme on June 26 and declared that demonstration would take place in all unions from June 22 to June 25.
Yesterday's programme was observed in the upazila without any untoward incident. Owing to the barricade programme, the Hill district remained virtually snapped with the rest of the parts of the country. All mode of transport were off the road.
The fresh agitation programmes were declared at a protest rally organised by the committee after the barricade was over. Hundreds of people participated in the programme denying heavy rain.
Presided over by Hazi Serajul Alam, the convenor of the Nagorik Committee, the protest rally was also addressed among others by Mongru Chowdhury, the member of Khagrachari district council, Anupom Tripura, another member of the same council, Abu Yousuf Chowdhury, Matiranga Poura Administrator, Abdul Mannan Munnaf, chairman of Belchhari union parishad, Nurul Islam Rana, a commissioner of the pourasabha, and others.
The speakers alleged that the UNDP was influenced by Santu Larma and excluded Matiranga from the development project. They also warned that tougher action programmes would be declared unless the decision was changed.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Khagrachhari district council Nakhshatralal Devbarman was seized by the pro-picketers in Matiranga. He was gheraoed for about 20 minutes. He was allowed to leave for Chittagong when he expressed solidarity with the agitating people.
Our Staff Correspondent from Chittagong writes: The implementation of the projects of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has become uncertain in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region following reported internal conflict among the rival factions of ruling BNP.
The Jana Sanghati Samity (JSS) and the United Peoples Democratic Front (UPDF) earlier protested the implementation of the projects claiming that the UNDP did not discuss the matter with them.
The internal conflict among the rivals of the ruling BNP has been mounting due to differences of opinion between tribal and Bengali people in the Chittagong Hill districts.
Chairman of Chittagong Hill Tract Development Board Wadud Bhuiyan MP wanted to implement the projects at a place where Bengali-speaking people live while the deputy minister of CHT affairs Moni Swapon Dewan wanted to implement the project first in the area where tribal people live.
JSS said the UNDP authority is trying to implement the projects without holding any discussion with them. They also alleged that the UNDP had also ignored the CHT Regional Council. At the initial stage the UNDP was willing to implement the projects at Matiranga upazila in Khagrachari district. But they have now suspended it. The local people of Matiranga yesterday demonstrated against UNDP’s changed decision.
The UNDP Resident Representative of UNDP Jorgen Lissner called on Santu Larma yesterday. But their discussion was not reportedly satisfactory.
Meanwhile, a senior leader of UPDF Sanchaya Chakma told The Independent that the UNDP did not inform them about their programme. UPDP favours the development of the CHTs. ‘But, UNDP is going to implement their project avoiding us,’ he added. He expressed his doubt about the success of the UNDP projects.