Road communication in CHT now easier
100km roads already constructed under Tk 105 crore project
Road communication has become easier in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), as the majority of the Tk 105 crore-infrastructure development project to construct about 100 kilometre (km) of roads with small bridges and culverts is now complete.
Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) is implementing the project in the three hill districts of Khagrachhari, Bandarban and Rangamati, to be complete by next year.
While visiting different areas in Matiranga and Panchhari upazilas of Khagrachhari district and sadar upazila of Rangamati district, people of the hill districts, especially in remote areas, were seen to be able to communicate with the mainland and also market with their produce easily.
Talking to this correspondent, local people said earlier they led a miserable life for lack of road communication in absence of development activities in the hill districts under the previous governments.
They said formerly people of the region had to walk a long distance to go to the markets located at inaccessible areas, often with agricultural products which were damaged on the way.
In Khagrachhari, several thousand tribal people came under the communication network with the construction of a 13 km road from Matiranga Sadar to Gomoti Union.
Champalika Tripura, 35, a tribal schoolteacher of Gomoti village, said people earlier had to walk to the upazila sadar, 20 km from her village. But now, they can go there by transport within 15 to 20 minutes as the distance came down to 13 km.
“Local people can take their fruits, vegetables and other agricultural crops by transport to the market in the upazila headquarters. They now get better prices and there is less damage,” she said.
Now the children of the hill areas can go to schools far away using transport which was not possible earlier, Tripura added.
Previously unemployed youths now earn Tk 700 to Tk 800 daily by carrying people and goods on motorcycles from one place to another.
LGED Engineer Anwarul Haque of Matiranga upazila said the construction of the new road in his upazila started in November 2009 and was completed in January this year.
Sub-Assistant Engineer Rashedul Ahsan of Panchhari upazila said a large number of tourists now visit the biggest Buddhist temple at Shantipur Aranyakutir daily following the construction of the new road.
In Rangamati, construction of the 18.36 km road from Asambasti to Baradom now makes it easy for people to travel and transport various goods, particularly fish caught from the Kaptai Lake to Rangamati sadar or elsewhere.
LGED Executive Engineer Sohrab Ali of Rangamati district said road construction in remote areas brought a huge change in the lifestyle of the hill people as they derive substantial economic benefit by utilising the road.
Chirajoti Chakma, 45, resident of Golachhari village in Rangmati, said people are getting benefit in many ways with the construction of new roads in the area.
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