UN team begins 15-day CHT tour today

An official programme detailing the team's work plan has been sent to the local administrations and departments concerned, sources in the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Facility (CHTDF) said here yesterday. The CHTDF is promotional project assisted by the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme).

The team will be led by ILO Specialist Hans Christian Haan. It will include ILO's Youth Employment and Marketing Specialist Pushpa Mathema, FAO's Agro-processing Specialist Narin Tongshiri, Tourism Specialist Ramesh Chandra of World Trade Organization (WTO), five specialists from World Food Programme (WFP) and three others from International Centre for Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

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From the home side, the team will included former FBCCI president Abdul Awal Mintu; private sector resource person Mohammed Mamunur Rashid; Imran Shaukat of JOBS, an NGO and Erika Hoffman-Kiess.

The team will examine growth prospects in different sectors, their needs and problems and assistance needed from donors and the government, the sources said.

The team, meantime, talked to Deputy Minister for CHT Affairs Moniswapon Dewan in Dhaka on November 9 and high officials of other ministries and government department concerned.

During the visit, they will exchange views with political leaders, officials, law enforcers, trade bodies, NGO officials and grassroots level people.

In Rangamati, the team will meet CHT Regional Council Chairman Jiotirindra Bodhipriya alias Santu Larma, CHT Development Board Chairman and lawmaker Abdul Wadood Bhuiyan, Chakma Circle Chief Devashish Roy, Hill District Council Chairman (HDC) Maniklal Dewan and Deputy Commissioner Gazi Md. Zulhash.

After concluding the visit, the team will hod a workshop in Dhaka to present its report.