President Meets with Leaders of Banladesh Nationalist Minority Ethnic Groups
A delegation of the Bangladesh Nationalist Minority Ethnic Groups paid a courtesy call on President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at Bangabhaban in Dhaka on Monday (October 5) and held a meeting to exchange views on various important issues.The delegation was jointly led by Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Minister and Bandarban District BNP Convener Prince Saching Prue Jerry, MP, and the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Bijon Kanti Sarker.During the meeting, the participants held detailed discussions on a range of national issues, including protecting the rights of various minority ethnic groups in the country, improving their living standards, ensuring their overall welfare and promoting social progress.Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Minister Saching Prue, MP, also spoke at the event.In his remarks, he highlighted the contributions of minority ethnic communities to Bangladesh’s development, peace and communal harmony, saying that these communities have continued to play an important role in the country’s overall development and prosperity.He said the constructive guidance and overall support of the President would further inspire efforts to protect the rights and ensure the welfare of people belonging to minority ethnic communities.Saching Prue expressed his deep respect and gratitude to the President for his role in advancing the rights and overall welfare of minority ethnic communities.He also expressed, on behalf of the leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Minority Ethnic Groups, a firm commitment to building a prosperous and justice-based Bangladesh through the collective efforts of people from all communities and groups.Earlier, a special meeting of the organisation was held on the previous day. At the meeting, Saching Prue Jerry, MP, Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Minister and Bandarban District BNP Convener, was unanimously nominated as an adviser to the Bangladesh Nationalist Minority Ethnic Groups.
Rainbow Nation’ Vision Seeks a More Inclusive Bangladesh: Saching Prue
Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Minister Saching Prue, MP, has reiterated the government’s commitment to building a discrimination-free and harmonious society by bringing together Bangladesh’s diverse religions, ethnicities, languages and communities.He made the remarks as the chief guest at a reception and honouring ceremony marking the 38th founding anniversary of the Rakhine Buddhist Welfare Association in Cox’s Bazar on Friday afternoon.In his speech, Saching Prue said the core philosophy of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s “Rainbow Nation” concept was to build a better Bangladesh without discrimination, where people from all communities maintain solidarity and empathy with one another.“Improving inter-community relations, fostering mutual brotherhood, ensuring respect and establishing justice are among the government’s key responsibilities,” he said.Highlighting the tourism potential of the Chittagong Hill Tracts and Cox’s Bazar, Saching Prue said everyone must work together to make Cox’s Bazar, the country’s tourism capital, cleaner and more attractive by making the entire Cox’s Bazar region, along with the Chittagong Hill Tracts, free from drugs.Referring to the socioeconomic role of the Rakhine community, the minister expressed hope that the community would chart its own course and contribute to the country’s overall development.He also urged members of the community to showcase their achievements and contributions to the nation through various platforms.At the event, Minister Saching Prue presented honourary crests to 38 prominent members of the Rakhine community, both living and posthumously, for their outstanding contributions in various fields, including medicine, engineering, civil service and the police.The discussion was followed by a cultural programme featuring performances by artists from the Rakhine community.The event was chaired by Maung Hla Ching, president of the central committee of the Rakhine Buddhist Welfare Association.Cox’s Bazar-3 MP Lutfor Rahman Kajal and reserved-seat MP Advocate Shamima Ara Begum Swapna also spoke at the event as special guests.
We Must Take an Even Tougher Stance Against Drugs: Saching Prue
Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Minister Saching Prue, MP, has described drugs as “the number one enemy of Bangladesh”, saying they are contaminating society at every level and that combating the menace will be given the highest priority at the state level.The minister made the remarks as the chief guest at a special meeting held at the auditorium of the Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner’s Office on Thursday. The meeting was organised to review and coordinate the district’s overall government activities, including law and order, combating corruption and drug trafficking, ensuring good governance, transparency and accountability, and implementing public welfare and development programmes.In his speech, Saching Prue said, “We must take an even tougher stance against drugs.” He said the routes commonly used by drug traffickers would be identified quickly and dealt with firmly.“We want to move forward by giving the directives of the Home Minister the highest priority in this regard,” he said.Emphasising the need to protect young people, the minister said the youth were among those worst affected by drug abuse.“The drug empire has spread across Bangladesh like cancer. If we want to build a better Bangladesh for the future, we must protect our youth from the grip of drugs at any cost,” he said.He called for the formation of drug prevention committees at neighbourhood and ward levels. He also directed the relevant authorities, with the assistance of law enforcement agencies, to eliminate drug trafficking in Chattogram, southern Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar, and to prevent the smuggling of fertiliser.The special district coordination meeting also discussed a range of issues, including preventing fertiliser smuggling, cracking down on drug traffickers, healthcare, cleanliness, distribution of family cards, construction of boundary walls around Rohingya camps, and prevention of juvenile gangs, as well as the district’s overall law and order and development activities.The meeting was chaired by Bandarban Deputy Commissioner Md Abdul Mannan. Cox’s Bazar-3 MP Lutfor Rahman Kajal, Advocate Shamima Ara Begum Swapna, senior officials from various government departments and leaders of the local journalist community were also present.
