What happened on August 16, 1946 Direct Action Day?

According to the 1941 census 53.4 per cent of the Bengalis were Muslims and the rest Hindus, with a minuscule proportion of Buddhists and Christians thrown in. The province was divided into five administrative divisions, which were further subdivided into districts, as follows : Presidency division, consisting of the districts of 24-Parganas, Nadia, Murshidabad, Jessore and Khulna and the Presidency town of Calcutta ; Burdwan division, with the districts of Howrah, Hooghly, Midnapore, Bankura, Burdwan and Birbhum ; Rajshahi division, with the districts of Rajshahi, Pabna, Malda, Dinajpur, Bogra, Rangpur, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling ; Dacca division, with the districts of Dacca, Faridpur, Barisal and Mymensingh (the largest district in British India) ; and Chittagong division with the districts of Chittagong, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Noakhali and Tipperah. Apart from these districts of Bengal, the people of Sylhet district of Assam, adjoining the Tipperah and Mymensingh districts of Bengal, those of the princely state of Cooch Behar adjoining Jalpaiguri and Rangpur, and a large number among the people of the princely state of Tripura, and among those of the districts of Manbhum nad Singhbhum in Bihar also largely spoke Bangla, and therefore were Bengalis. A map of the erstwhile province of Bengal, as it existed till the midnight of 14th August 1947 is at Fig. 1. The Bangla-speaking areas outside Bengal are also shown in the same map. <More> http://teabreak.pk/what-happened-on-august-16-1946-direct-action-day-289/31223/

Future of India-Bangladesh relations

Sheikh Hasina, who started her second term as Prime Minister of Bangladesh on January 6, 2009, is due to visit India from Sunday. This is her first visit to New Delhi during this term, and it is expected to be a significant one.

When Ms Hasina became Prime Minister in 1996 (she held office till 2001), her Awami League had a thin majority in Parliament, and her government had many limitations. She came to power after two decades that followed the bloody changeover of 1975. Despite those limitations, her government took some remarkable steps vis-À-vis India. Overall, it tried to reverse certain post-1975 political trends and to rejuvenate the pro-liberation spirit that was needed badly for a secular polity in a country that had seen the planned rehabilitation of the so-called 1947 spirit by a set of military and pseudo-democratic rulers. >more> http://beta.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/article77850.ece?homepage=true

Ambassador Serajul Islam's Political Blog

That day the Foreign Secretary had gone to Chittagong where the area Commander of Bangladesh Army in the Hill Tracts held meetings on insurgency regularly for a Committee that was headed by then Planning Minister AK Khandker, also now the Planning Minister in the Government, in which the Foreign Secreteray was a member. By 1030, agents from DG (NSI) were in the Bag Section inspecting the Box, taking photographs. The Director-General (Administration) who was an officer deputed by the Establishment Division at the behest of the Foreign Minister went down quickly to the Bag Section but by the time he was there, the intelligence agents were already gone >more>http://ambassadorseraj.blogspot.com/2010/01/mohammad-mohsin-takes-charge.html

Consult council for development

The Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission (CHTC) has urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to take necessary steps to cancel the planning ministry's decision to develop tourism in hill areas without consulting the Hill District Council.

The CHTC sent a letter to the prime minister on Wednesday expressing its concern over indiscriminate tourism development plans in the CHT.

Congratulating the Awami League-led alliance government on completing its first year in office, the letter said the commission had learned that the parliamentary standing committee (PSC) on the planning ministry on 23 December 2009 decided to develop tourism in the CHT region >more>http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=121002

Eco-tourism in Bangladesh

Kaptai National Park:

The Kaptai National Park is located in Rangamati Hill District over Karnaphuly and Kaptai Ranges under Chittagong Hill Tracts (South) Forest Division. It is accessible by air, road or train from Dhaka upto Chittagong then by road. Area: 5464 hectare. Established: 1999.

Existing facilities: Rangamati Hill District is one of the major tourist places in Bangladesh. The green hills, vast Kaptai Lake, numerous springs as well as the unique life style of tribal people attract tourist. Besides, there are many other fascinating things or places where the tourists visit such as, Rajbon Bihar, Tribal Cultural Museum, Bungalow of Deputy Commissioner, Bain Textile, Hanging Bridge adjacent of Tourism complex, Soubolng, Kaptai Hydro-Electric Project etc.

Kaptai National Park is unique for its monumental plantations of 1873, 1878 and 1879, the starting point of modern forest management in this sub-continent. The tropical rain forest on the banks of river Karnaphuly is amazing in the Kaptai National Park. There is a number of wildlife like Deer, Elephent, and Jungle cat, Monkey etc. in the park. The Kaptai Forest Rest house and Kaptai Mukh Forest Rest House, Picnic spots are other attraction to enjoy the scenic natural beauty of the National Park.>more> http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2010/01/08/news0682.htm

Making the CHT treaty a win-win for all

Critics say that the ground realities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) do not match the terms and provisions of the peace treaty the previous Awami League government signed with Shanti Bahini. The treaty, according to them, was less than fair to the rest of the population in Bangladesh. They say it compromises the nation's political and territorial interests.>more> http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=88824

PM's India-tour-matters discussed at cabinet meet: regional peace tops Delhi talks

The cabinet approved the previously signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Roads and Highways Department under the Communications Ministry and Expressway Corporation of Korea with retrospective effect.

Another report adds: PM Sheikh Hasina has expressed her government's strong commitment to ensure all necessary development of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).

The PM made the commitment while talking to cross-sections of people of Rangamati through videoconference from the Prime Minister's Office Wednesday.

Public representatives, government officials and civil-society members of the hill district talked to the PM.>more> http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=88866

Work to implement CHT deal

Deputy Leader of Jatiya Sangsad Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury yesterday said the government wants full implementation of the Chittagong-Hill Tracts Peace Treaty and land survey is going on in the hill region to implement the treaty.

"The hill people have every right to use the hill lands," she asserted and sought cooperation from all quarters for implementing the Peace Treaty to improve the standard of life of the indigenous people.

"It is our duty to implement the treaty for the greater welfare of the indigenous people," Sajeda said while addressing a view-exchange meeting at National Press Club auditorium in the morning.>more>http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2010/01/06/news0485.htm

PM sees govt excelling 'everywhere'

Dhaka, Jan 4 (bdnews24.com) – Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has said the grand alliance government has excelled in all areas in its first year in power.

"We are successful in all areas. Perhaps, we have one failure as we could not loot and kill people," Hasina was quoted by her press secretary Abul Kalam Azad as saying.

"We could not also resort to corruption and destroy industries," she said.

The PM was speaking while launching the expansion of network of Teletalk, state-owned mobile phone operator, in three Chittagong Hill Tract districts of Rangamati, Bandarban and Rangamati from her office.>more>http://bdnews24.com/details.php?id=150168&cid=2

22 CHT upazilas now under Teletalk network

The state-run mobile phone operator Teletalk brought 22 upazilas of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) under its network coverage on Monday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally inaugurated the network from her office in the capital talking to Post and Telecommunications Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju, who called her from Lama upazila auditorium of Bandarban over mobile phone, at about 11:00am.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Company Limited (BTCL) Managing Director Khobiruzzaman was also present on the occasion, reports our Bandarban correspondent>more>http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=21463

The Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord of 1997 and its Aftermath

Abstract: The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), situated to the southeastern part of Bangladesh has been under boil since mid seventies. A two decades long conflicts between the Government of Bangladesh and ‘Shanti Bahini`, a rebel group of indigenous people, caused loss of thousands of lives and valuable resources. A peace treaty was signed between the two parties in December 2 1997, in order to bring peace and stability in this region. In this paper, we have tried to highlight the political situation of the country and of the CHT area that resulted because of the treaty. Some important provisions of the treaty have been mentioned and their implementation status has been discussed. It was found that after more than six years of the signing of the treaty, very little of the treaty has been implemented and the situation of CHT is far from peaceful. We have discussed the reasons why maintaining peace in this area is important for Bangladesh and have provided some recommendations that would help in bringing lasting peace in the CHT region.

Year of 'enhanced cooperation' against terrorism

bdnews24.com New Delhi correspondent

New Delhi, Jan 2 (bdnews24.com) – When Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is conferred with the prestigious Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development in New Delhi during her visit to India this month, it will be in recognition of her "outstanding contribution to promotion of democracy and pluralism, her determined drive to alleviate poverty and secure social and economic justice for her people through inclusive and sustainable development, and her consistent commitment to peace."

The citation that Indian President Pratibha Patil will present to Hasina will perhaps also mention the efforts she had made during her first tenure (1996-2001) as prime minister to end the insurgency in Chittagong Hill Tracts by striking a deal with the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS) in 1997. >more> http://bdnews24.com/details.php?id=150034&cid=2

Hill rock extraction goes on unabated in CHT

Rampant extraction of hill rocks is going on in the district defying the government ban and posing serious threat to environment.

Continuous collection of hill rocks develops silt and mud in nearby rivers, which is a major reason for untimely flooding in Khagrachhari. Illegal extraction also deprives the government of huge revenue from rock extraction.

At least 40 places have been marked in eight upazilas of the district where the illegal collectors gather hill rocks and sell them to local constructors for using those in various development work.>more> http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=119972