CPD Executive Director Prof Mustafizur Rahman speaks at a discussion at the National Press Club yesterday. On his right is Dr Dibalok Singh and on his left are ETV Chief of News Shah Alamgir and Prof MM Akash.Photo: STAR

Speakers at a discussion yesterday urged the caretaker government to allocate special funds or incorporate projects in the national budget of the next fiscal year to boost environment and people-friendly tourism business in the discriminated and backward areas enriched with mineral and natural resources and beauty.
The government should start the development activities for such areas in priority basis so that a balanced economic system can be developed in the country, eradicating poverty and domestic discrimination from the country, they added.
Emphasising infrastructure development like building necessary communication system and ensuring power supply to these areas, they recommended several other points, including public-private partnership in this regard, that would subsequently help achieving the millennium development goal (MDG) of making population under poverty line halved by 2015.
The discussion was organised as a pre-budget proposal-2008 titled “Role of natural resources, beauty and tourism industry at Durgapur and Kamlakanda areas in eradicating domestic discrimination and poverty” at VIP lounge in the National Press Club yesterday afternoon.
Dushtha Shasthya Kendra (DSK) organised the programme with legendary adivasi leader Kumudini Hajong in the chair and was attended by a large number of local people from Durgapur and Kamlakanda, two upazilas of Netrokona, 150 km off the Dhaka city.
“We want a Bangladesh balanced in all the ways, including in its economic system, with no deprivation and discrimination. We had liberation war in protest against economic deprivation of Bangalees by Pakistan,” said Unnoyon Somonnoy Chairman Dr Atiur Rahman.
“Unless the government begins development work from the underprivileged and deprived areas ensuring right to hard-core poor people living there, no development actually takes place in true sense,” he added.
“The rich, who can develop their own status, do not need assistance from the state. The state is for the poor and the government should undertake projects to perform this act,” he added.
“If the government can ensure infrastructure development like communication, power and water supply in such areas considering geographical, cultural and natural importance, the areas will develop on their own,” said Ittefaq Editor Rahat Khan.
“Years have gone by since independence and the governments passed their respective tenures by turns. But the deprived people in Durgapur and Kamlakanda areas could not witness only 23-km bridge they need the most to survive,” said Prof MM Akash.
The speakers also suggested boosting domestic tourism, spreading tourism business across the country, upholding heritage, culture, history and resources in the discriminated areas, ensuring power supply for cultivation to farmers living in such area, and coordination of public and private development efforts to develop such areas.
DSK Executive Director Dr Dibalok Singh presented a keynote paper in the discussion which was moderated by Bhorer Kagoj Editor Shyamol Dutta.
Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Executive Director Mustafizur Rahman, ETV Chief of News Shah Alamgir, BSS Managing Director Jaglul A Chowdhury and News Today Editor Riaz Uddin Ahmed took part in the discussion.
The speakers also made several recommendations to develop the areas including building roads from Kalmakanda to Tanguar Haur via Panchgaon, Tanguar Haur to Durgapur via Kamlaganda along the border, Nazirpur to Netrokona via Sidhli, Birishiri to Bijoypur via Shibganj, Shyamganj to Durgapur via Birishiri, power connection to the areas, river training, river dredging and necessary measures to save bio-diversity and environment of the areas.
Durgapur and Kamlakanda is blessed with mineral, natural resources and beauty, enriched with heritage, history, archaeological treasure and diversity in ecology and population. But worst communication, government's reluctance to ensure power and fundamental rights to the people living here have pushed economy of the areas to a dilapidated condition.
Around 2,98,326 and 2,34,398 people including advasis (indigenous people) live on the areas of 293.42 square km and 377.411 square km at Durgapur and Kamlakanda with 44.8 percent to 50 percent of the people living under poverty line.