They run propaganda at home and abroad

Special Correspondent: The development of tourism in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) will abolish some vested quarters who are running propaganda in home and abroad against the development.

They have continued spreading twisted information against the construction of the five-star Marriott Hotel in Bandarban`s Chandrapahar.

If the project is completed - located at Jibannagar Chandrapahar under Lama police station - a large number of tourists from home and abroad will arrive to enjoy the aesthetic beauty.  Ultimately, it will enhance the life and living of the people of Bandarban district.

The tribal people in the hills also favor this five-star hotels project. Further, they said that the hotel will increase the employment opportunity for the local people as well.

Some of the locals, seeking anonymity, said that they have been lagging even in this modern age for two terrorist organizations - the JSS and UPDF.

The organizations are extorting large sums of money from them, they alleged. So, the terrorists are afraid that after construction of the project, they would not be able to continue their extortion or their supremacy will not be established, they said.

They also said that tourists cannot visit the CHT properly for the lack of proper infrastructure. So, a settlement of 20 acres of land was taken in 2015 from the Bandarban Hill District Council for the construction of a five-star hotel.

But the two organizations – JSS and UPDF have been interfering as they will lose their source of income from extortion. 

The amount of land for the five-star hotel project at Chandrapahar in Bandarban is 20 acres, which has been claimed by vested quarters at 1000 acres. Besides, there is no human settlement within a radius of 3 kilometers of the project.

So, the allegation of evicting 10,000 people also appears baseless. In fact, there are only 817 people living in the adjacent areas, and there are no chances of their eviction.

Therefore, the issue of demolition of graveyards through eviction of villages and neighborhoods or construction of dams is completely unreasonable and baseless.

The construction of tourism spots is noticeable in the neighboring countries which play lead role in the expansion of socio-economic activities of the areas. However, the scenario has flipped in our country. And a vested quarter is engaged in hindering the tourism project.