Status Quo, Constraints, and way forward

Improving sustainable infrastructure, such as better roads, in remote char areas of the country can help alleviate development deprivation among the char population. By enhancing infrastructure in char areas, it becomes feasible to enhance various amenities like education, healthcare, employment, and market accessibility. This comprehensive approach is pivotal for effectively reducing poverty in the char region. These remarks were made during a seminar titled Infrastructure in the chars: Status Quo, Constraints, and way forward held at the Grand Ballroom of Hotel Intercontinental, Shahbagh on Wednesday, March 13, 2024.

The seminar was organized by Rural Development Academy(Bogra), along with Swiss Contact and Unnayan Shamannay (representing the National Char Alliance). This initiative received funding from both the governments of Bangladesh and Switzerland.

Tajul Islam MP, Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperative Affairs, delivered a speech as the chief guest at the seminar. State Minister for Rural Development and Cooperative Affairs Abdul Wadud Dara MP and Chief Engineer of LGED were present as special guests. Additionally, Md. Ali Akhtar Hossain, Chief Engineer of LGED, Director General of Disaster Management Directorate, and Mizanur Rahman were also present. The seminar background note was presented by the founding president of National Char Alliance, chairman of Unnayan Shamannay and former governor of Bangladesh Bank.

Abdul Awal, the Team Leader of the M4C project at Swiss Contact Bangladesh, delivered a welcoming address at the start of the seminar. Following this, Md. Abdul Majeed, the Project Director of the M4C project, provided an overview of the initiative. A welcome speech was also given by the Director General of Rural Development Academy Bogra, Khurshid Iqbal Rezvi, and Mujibul Hasan Sejan, the Country Director of Swiss contact Bangladesh. Lastly, the president of the program expressed gratitude to Mosammat Hamida Begum, the Senior Secretary of the Rural Development and Cooperative Divisions.

The chief guest at the seminar, Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperative Affairs, Tajul Islam MP, emphasized the significance of char development for Bangladesh's economic future. He said that enhancing the communication infrastructure in rural areas would greatly benefit the country's economy, particularly in agriculture. Tajul Islam highlighted that over 8 million citizens reside in the 8,315 square kilometers of Chars in Bangladesh. He suggested that by implementing modern agricultural techniques on this extensive area of silt-enriched pasture, food security could be substantially improved.

Renowned economist Dr. Atiur Rahman emphasized the need to empower residents of char areas so they can uplift themselves from poverty. He talked about the importance of establishing connectivity infrastructure in char regions to facilitate this empowerment.

State Minister for Rural Development and Cooperative Affairs Abdul Wadud Dara MP highlighted the critical significance of developing infrastructure in char areas. He advocated for implementing sustainable initiatives to protect the vulnerable forages in these regions from damage.

Additional Secretary of Rural Development and Cooperative Department Dr. Humaira Sultana, Additional Secretary (Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Institutions) Md. Sayduzzaman, Project Director (Amar Gram, Amar Shohor) Abul Manzoor Md. Sadek, Additional Chief Engineer of CDSP Sayeed Ahmed along with various government projects and private sector officials working for the development of char people and subject matter experts participated in the seminar. Moreover, residents from Char also participated in the discussion.