In the name of bringing about harmony, the local administrations in CHT are trying to control the development activities of NGOs, alleged the speakers at a workshop in Rangamati, on June 27, 2012, further adding that communal peace and harmony in CHT is in jeopardy as NGOs are to make it clear about how many indigenous and non-indigenous Bengali staff work in each project.
[The distinguished guests including (from left) Aranendu Tripura, Public Relations Officer of Rangamati district council, Dipen Dewan, president of Rangamati unit of BNP, Tuku Talukder, executive director of Himawanti, Prof. Mong Sanu Chowdhury, a member of CHT Citizens’ Committee and Jana Lal Chakma, executive director of CIPD are seen on the dais;]
Organized jointly by four local NGOs including CIPD, Maleya Foundation, Global Village and SAS, and held at the seminar room of Rangamati District Council, the workshop styled “Sharing Workshop on Development in CHT” was addressed by, among many, Nikil Kumar Chakma, chairman of Rangamati District Council, Prof. Mong Sanu Chowdhury, a member of CHT Citizens’ Committee, Jana Lal Chakma, executive director of CIPD, Saiful Islam, chairman of Rangamati municipality, Tuku Talukder, executive director of Himawanti, Lalit C. Chakma, executive director of SAS (Strategic Actions Society), Omar Faruque, executive director of HSDO, Biplob Chakma, executive director of Asika Manobik Unnayan Kendro, Konicka Barua, chairperson of Rangamati district unit of Bangladesh Mohila Parishad and Amar Sadhan Chakma, executive director of Taungya.
The role of CHT Regional Council should be made specific to coordinate development activities; there should be a better coordination, and be established an environment of faith among government, semi-government and non-government organizations. There should be formulated a policy for the hill women to bring the hill women into the mainstream of development in CHT, the speakers were learnt to have further said at the workshop.
Furthermore, it was suggested at the workshop that CHT Regional Council should take immediate steps to prepare a vision of development in CHT, and that as per the circular of Prime Minister’s office, the 3 hill district councils should be empowered to coordinate and supervise the activities of NGOs in CHT.
In the very beginning of the program, Ashok Kumar Chakma, a development worker, presented a report on development activities of various NGOs in CHT. Later, Aranendu Tripura and Shafiqul Islam presented a paper on different development activities of Rangamati District Council and CHT Development Board.
[Lalit C. Chakma, executive director of SAS (Strategic Actions Society) delivers his speech at one stage of the program;]
It was learnt from different sources that Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Rangamati district Md. Mostafa Kamal denied the allegation of any involvement of the local administrations in CHT in controlling the activities of NGOs in CHT. Reportedly, he went on saying that Rangamati district administration is always ready to cooperate with the 48 registered NGOs in the district, and he assured that if anyone is found making division out of bad intention between the Bengalis and the indigenous peoples, he/she must be handed over with exemplary punishment, adding further that the condition that compels the NGOs working in CHT to show how many indigenous and non-indigenous Bengali peoples there are in a project has actually been introduced by NGO Bureau and Regulatory Committee.