Reaffirming its commitment to fully implement the Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT) Peace Accord-1997, the government yesterday signed a deal of over $31 million for a new development project focusing on sustainable and inclusive development of the CHT.
The project "Strengthening Inclusive Development in the Chittagong Hill Tracts" will be implemented in the next five years.
This is a continuation of a very successful project “Promotion of Development and Confidence Building in the CHT” that has been implemented with significant results since 2003 in the three districts of the CHT area -- Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban, said a UNDP press release yesterday.
The total cost of the project has been estimated at $31,629,363, out of which about $19.6 million will be provided by UNDP, Saarc, and governments of Bangladesh, Denmark and the US. The remaining $12 million will be provided by other development partners.
"This new phase of development…addresses new and also the remaining development challenges in CHT. Its main focus will be inclusiveness of all communities in the area, and it will have a stronger impact on ecosystem, social development, and development of institutions," said Sudipto Mukerjee, UNDP country director in Bangladesh.
The CHT affairs ministry as the executing agency will assume overall ownership and responsibility for project activities and will be accountable for the results.
The project will be implemented under the framework of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Facility (CHTDF) programme.