Stop hotel construction on Mro land

Fifty-nine eminent civil society members yesterday sent letters to the Chattogram Hill Tracts affairs minister and the ministry secretary, army chief, and defence and environment ministries demanding the authorities stop the construction of a five-star hotel on Mro land in Bandarban.

They also wrote to Marriott International, an international hotel chain, to withdraw its all types of involvement in the project, said a press release.

The eminent personalities said as the army installations in the CHT should be reduced as per the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, carrying out such a massive construction work in the area is a clear violation of the terms of the deal. They claimed that obstacles have been placed forcibly in the way of earning Mro people's livelihoods, movement and communication in the interest of implementing the hotel project.

They also urged the minister and secretary of the CHT affairs ministry, army chief, and defence and environment ministries to hold views-exchange meetings in this regard.

Among the signatories to the letters are: Professor Emeritus Dr Serajul Islam Choudhury of Dhaka University, Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, trustee of Gonoshasthaya Kendra, economist Hossain Zillur Rahman, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Distinguished Fellow Debapriya Bhattacharya, rights activist Sultana Kamal, women rights activist Hameeda Hossain, Manusher Jonno Foundation Executive Director Shaheen Anam, Prof Anu Muhammad of Jahangirnagar University, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman and Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association (BELA).

Mro people alleged that a welfare organisation and Sikder Group are trying to grab about 1,000 acres of jhum land in the Chimbuk Naitong hills of Bandarban to implement the hotel project.