British HC happy over project work

"I am pleased to see the uplift work under CLP, but it will give more pleasure if I see 100 percent implementation of the programme", he told officials during a visit to some shoal areas in Brahmaputra basin covered by the CLP.

"I am also a son of this soil. I have came to the remote shoal in Gaibandha district to see the development you have done", he told officials and local people.

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The British High Commissioner visited the area on Thursday to see the on going development activities under the CLP.

He was received by Gaibandha Deputy Commissioner Mujibur Rahman and other officials when he flew to Ujangari shoal in Sunderganj upazila in a seaplane.

He first visited the Lifebouy Friendship, a floating hospital on the Brahmaputra for treatment of ultra poor and destitute people in the shoals.

Expressing satisfaction over performance of floating hospital, Anwar Choudhury asked the authorities of the hospital to upgrade the medicare facilities and assured them of his government's all possible help in this regard.

The hospital is treating the poor shoal people in the area for te alst five years.

He then visited infrastructures created under the Char Livelihood programme at Purbo Khatiyamari shoal in Fulchari upazila.

The government has undertaken a massive Char Development programme with a fund of Tk 500 crore to help the poor people change their life.

The programme began in 2003 with assistance from DFID of British government and will continue till 2011.

The aim of the programme is to reduce the level of poverty in the area by 50 percent by providing livelihood security.

The programme includes construction of roads, bridges and culvert; infrastructure development for setting up of cottage industries to crate employment under self-help basis through motivation.

The programme covers five northern districts of Gaibandha, Kurigram, Sirajganj, Bogra and Jamalpur. Priority has been given to 149 unions in 28 upazilas in the districts in Teesta- Brahmaputra-Jamuna basin areas.

The British envoy also talked to some of the beneficiaries.

Solaiman Ali and Abdul Quddus of Khatiyamari shoal said that they have been provided with houses, drinking water and sanitation facilities for free under the fCLP.

"We have completed infrastructures under the CLP in Fulchari upazila", said Kabir Anwar, upazila co-ordinator of the programme.

British High Commissioner was accompanied by Runa Khan, Executive Director, Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital; Roland Handson, team leader of CLP; David Wood and SL Sen.

He flew back to the capital in the afternoon.