A group of anti-development and anti-progress people are spreading baseless propaganda against the construction of an international tourist spot in Bandarban district.
The quarter has stood against the ongoing construction of a five-star hotel -- Marriott Hotel and Amusement Park -- at Chandra Pahar, previously known as the Naitong hung (hill) of Bandarban’s Chimbuk area.
According to credible sources, the group is involved in a deep-rooted conspiracy to foil the government move to implement various development projects for promoting tourism in the remote hill district for the socio-economic development of the areas.
A section of the so-called civil society members and environment activists also joined the ill-motivated campaign against the tourism project.
After the thorough investigation by this correspondent, it was confirmed that no tribal people live within the radius of three kilometers of the project under construction.
Most nearby Dolapara is around 1.3 kilometers away from the Chandra Pahar and the main site of the project is farther away from Dolapara.
The claim of the vested quarters that graveyard has been damaged, villagers have been evicted by constructing embankment, has been proved baseless as there is no village, even a small locality (para) near the site.
According to the local sources, there are only four paras, (small part of a village) adjacent to the Chandra Pahar hill.
The nearest para is Dolapara, located to the south side of Chandra Pahar.
Karpupara is to the north-west side of Chandra Pahar. It is 3.5 kilometers away from Chandra Pahar.
Kolai Para is to the east of the Chandra Pahar. It is 5 kilometers away from the tourism site by road.
Era Para is located to the north side of the ongoing tourism site. It is also 5 kilometers away from the Chandra Pahar.
Anti-state groups are campaigning that at least 10,000 Mro tribal people are living in the area. But the sources said that at Karpupara there are 48 Mro families. Total population is only 320.
Only 20 families are currently living at Dolapara where the total population is only 120.
At Kolaipara, 37 families are living with only 250 family members while at Erapara, there are only 19 families and a total of 127 people are living there.
Thus only 124 families with their 817 family members live at Karpupara, Dolapara, Erapara and Kolaipara under the Chandra Pahar hill village.
Local Mro community leaders said almost all tribal people of the Mro tribal community are in favour of the construction of the tourism site as it will significantly develop their socio-economic condition.
On November 17 last year, around 800 people of the Mro community gathered at Bangabandhu Mukto Mancha in Bandarban town protesting baseless propaganda misusing the names of their community.
They also expressed their gratefulness for the planned development in Chittagong Hill Tracts, including Chandra Pahar. The Mro tribal community also thanked security forces for ensuring the security for them.
Local people said that if the tourism project is implemented, the infrastructures, communications and the quality of the life of the tribal people will develop further.
They said the tribal people will get a golden opportunity to sell their agricultural products at fair prices to the visiting tourists. They will also be able to earn adequate money through fruit shops and restaurant business after the project is implemented.
More than 200 tribal people will be benefited directly and around 1,500 indirectly from the project, it is estimated.
Bandarban district is one of the most attractive tourist districts of the country. But local and international tourists are facing various troubles due to the lack of international-standard hotels and resorts in the inaccessible hill district.
Vested quarters are making another false claim of occupying 1,000 acres of land for the project. But official documents show that only 20 acres of land were taken on lease for 40 years from the government as per law of the country.
Local people told this correspondent that the primary work of the tourism project started in 2015. No group raised any voice against the project. But suddenly some anti-state elements started instigating a small section of Mro people by misguiding them.
General people of the Mro community opined that if hotels, resorts and other tourism infrastructures are developed in the CHT area, huge employment will be generated. Common people will get easy access if communication systems are developed.
As a result, the anti-state activities of the armed terror groups of the regional political parties, including separatist and insurgent groups the United People's Democratic Front (UPDF) and the Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS), will be curbed.
Besides, foreign tourists will get the chance to see the ground reality of the CHT along with enjoying the natural beauty of the CHT area.
Some local tribal elites said that if the tourism industry and infrastructures are massively developed in Bandarban, the activities of the security forces will be enhanced. As a result, extortion and terrorist activities of the UPDF and JSS will face serious resistances by the ordinary peace-loving people.
If the area is not developed, extortion and terror activities of the two rival groups will continue, they warned.
The local tribal elite said if extortions of the JSS and UPDF are decreased, they will not be able to buy illegal arms for their cadres.
In such a case, JSS and UPDF will also fail to pay salaries to their party leaders and activists.
At one stage, these two regional political parties will face serious difficulties even to politically survive due to the lack of arms and ammunition and extortion.
If the rate of literacy is increased, the educated youths will resist terrorism of the JSS and UPDF. Fearing such potential protests against terrorist-based regional politics of both JSS and UPDF, the controversial groups have gone against the development of the hill district Bandarban.
They do not want to allow enlightenment in CHT. Mro youths will not choose the deadly politics of the two regional political parties, if they can enjoy the opportunity of fair earning by fair means.
District Council Chairman Kyaw Shwe Hla at a press conference on November 22 clearly said that there had been no Mro settlement in the Naitong Hill of Chimbuk area ever.
“It is not true that if a tourist spot is built, it will directly affect Mro villages,” he further said.
ATM Kawser Hossain, Chief Executive Officer of the Bandarban District Hill Council (BDHC) on February 25 said, “Those who are spreading propaganda against the tourism project are not local people. They are presenting baseless information in TV talk-shows and street processions.”
Referring to the completely false claim of possible eviction of the Mro tribal community, the senior officer of the BDHC said, “There is no question of eviction due to the development project. Actually no people live within the radius of three kilometers of the site.”
Voicing in favour of the development project, ATM Kawser said, “If development project is properly implemented, schools, colleges and institutions will be built in the area. And more area will be under electrification coverage.”
Arjun Mro, a local public representative, said that they would be able to sell their products to tourists at higher prices if the hotel becomes operational.
Laxkan Mro, who lives in Karpupara, said, “We would also be happy if the authorities recruited local people in various capacities under this project.”
