Rangamati Correspondent
Only infrastructure development cannot bring about comprehensive change in a nation; skilled human resources and small-scale entrepreneurs are essential to make a region self-reliant, said State Minister for Land and Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Barrister Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin MP.
He made the remarks as the chief guest at a training certificate and self-reliance materials distribution programme held at the Maini Auditorium of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board in Rangamati on Sunday.
The state minister said the then President Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Bir Uttam established the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board on January 14, 1976, with the aim of building a developed and prosperous Chittagong Hill Tracts.
He said a developed and prosperous hill region could be built through human resource development and the creation of small-scale entrepreneurs. He said around 1,540 young men and women had received training in freelancing and various other fields under the board, helping them overcome dependence on employment and become self-reliant entrepreneurs.
He also recalled the government’s initiatives to keep tax-free income facilities for freelancers and various e-commerce platforms open to support them.
Referring to the diversity of the hill region as a strength, Mir Helal said, “Although the seven colours of a rainbow are different, their combination creates unique beauty. Similarly, a strong and prosperous Bangladesh will be built through the unity of every ethnic group and community in the three hill districts.”
He urged the trainees to present their identity with pride on the global stage.
Replying to questions from journalists after the programme, the state minister reiterated the government’s firm stance against corruption. He said that if any allegation of irregularity or corruption was received, a departmental investigation would be conducted first, followed by strict legal action through the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and other appropriate authorities.
However, he stressed the need to consider existing complexities and practical realities while providing urgent humanitarian assistance to people at the grassroots level.
Asked about the eviction of illegal occupants from Kaptai Lake, he said the matter was currently sub judice and that steps were being taken through the appropriate legal process after discussions with the Law Minister and the Attorney General.
He also said the government’s regular activities to ensure the continued implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord and accountability of the local administration were ongoing.
The meeting was chaired by Development Board Chairman Major General (retd) Anup Kumar Chakma. Vice-Chairman Sheikh Saleh Ahmad, Rangamati Superintendent of Police Muhammad Abdur Rakib, Deputy Director Mongchelain Rakhine and Executive Engineer Tushit Chakma of the Development Board also spoke at the programme.
At the event, the state minister distributed multimedia equipment to various educational institutions, sewing machines to poor and distressed women for self-employment, and certificates among trainees under various projects of the Development Board.
Earlier, the state minister held an exchange of views with officers and employees of the Development Board at the Board’s Karnaphuli Hall Room.
Later, he inaugurated the watchtower at the children’s park and the e-learning centre operated by the Rangamati District Council.
He then attended the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the road from the Rangamati-Khagrachhari Road to Mahapuram Khal, and finally attended the inauguration ceremony of the bridge over Mahapuram Khal in Naniarchar.#SAS
