First CHT complex in offing to promote ethnic culture

With an aim to promote the national cultural diversity, and social customs and individual characteristics of the ethnic communities, the government is going to construct a Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) complex in the capital.

The complex will comprise a six-storied building with a multi-purpose hall, dormitory, administrative building, museum, library and residences for the CHT affairs minister and chairman of CHT Regional Council.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will lay the foundation stone of "Parbatya Chattagram Complex" (Chittagong Hill Tracts complex) tomorrow in the capital's Bailey road area.

The multi-storied aesthetic complex will be built on a 1.94-acre land at a cost of Tk 106 crore and is expected to be opened by June in 2018.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved the project on February 9 this year.

Secretary to the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Naba Bikram Kishore Tripura said, "CHT complex will be the address of hill tracts people in the capital."

He said people coming in Dhaka for different purposes from hill tracts could temporarily stay in the complex irrespective of "pahari" or "bangalee" with minimal cost.

Complexes of this sort are available in New Delhi where there are Nagaland house, Tripura house, Meghalaya house and Gujrat house, added Naba Bikram.

The compound will play a pioneer role in cultural exchange and co-operation and in deepening communal harmony between the people of CHT and plain land.

Moreover, the complex will further depict the cultural heritages, social customs, languages, religions and the individual characteristics of the ethnic communities of CHT.

It will be considered a spectacular artistic structure to visitors.

Around 1,500 guests are expected to be present at the foundation-laying ceremony where daylong cultural programmes will also be held. 

Among others, Deputy Leader of Jatiya Sangsad and Peace Accord Implementation Committee Convener Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Housing and Public Works minister Mosharraf Hossain, Chairman of CHT Regional Council Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma, popularly known Santu Larma, and Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of CHT Affairs RAM Ubaidul Muktadir Chowdhury will be present as special guests at the programme to be presided over by Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing, state minister for CHT affairs.