In this connection it may be mentioned here that I found vast deposits of beach sand minerals Zircon, iron ore, rutile, garnet, monazite, magnetite etc. in Cox's Bazar in 1970 which I call "black gold". Since then I have left no stone unturned for the commercial use and export of the valuable minerals either in the public sector or in the private sector. In this regard many reports, articles, comments and letters have been published in our various national dailies and weeklies but all in vain.

In 1975, the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission declared that they discovered heavy minerals and set up a pilot project with the help of the Australian government.

But so far the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resource, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and the Prime Minister's Secretariat have not taken any pragmatic and positive steps for the commercial utilisation of the valuable minerals. As a result, millions of tons of minerals worth billions of dollars have been lost in the sea.

The valuable minerals "Black-Gold" are not found only in Cox's Bazar but also in Kutubdia. Teknaf, Moheshkhali, Nijhumdip & Kuakata etc.

It is true that mining, separation, refining & purification of the minerals is a highly technical matter that involves colossal capital investment for setting up industries and factories which a poor country like ours can hardly afford. But we may collect the minerals and export these in crude form and earn foreign exchange. Thus we may move step by step and utilise our national mineral/wealth for the greatest benefit and welfare of our people.

Would the chief adviser of the caretaker government kindly look into the matter in the greater economic interest of our people?