United News of Bangladesh

State Minister for Land and Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Mir Mohammed Helal Uddin on Monday said meaningful development cannot be achieved through a blame game or by dwelling on the past, stressing that all stakeholders must work together to ensure sustainable development in the hill districts. He made the remarks while addressing the April review meeting of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) at the Chittagong Hill Tracts Complex on Bailey Road in Dhaka. The state minister said every development activity funded by the government must ensure accountability and transparency, adding that merely allocating food grains in tons or distributing small cash grants does not constitute genuine development. “Development projects must be designed in a way that collectively changes people’s lives and creates long-term opportunities,” he said. Helal Uddin urged officials to maintain the same spirit and speed as Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in implementing government initiatives. Calling on officials to work proactively, he said they should undertake all legally permissible development initiatives within their jurisdictions without waiting for instructions. The state minister emphasised that not only the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board, but also the three hill district councils must play an equally active role in accelerating development. He further said spending billions of taka on bridges, culverts, food assistance, or cash support alone will not improve people’s lives in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Instead, he emphasised the importance of projects that focus on technical education, skills development, and self-reliance. During the meeting, officials informed that the revised ADP allocation for fiscal year 2025–26 stands at Tk 872.41 crore. A total of eight ADP projects and three development assistance programmes are currently under implementation. As of April 2026, Tk 410.25 crore had been released, representing 47.02 percent of the total allocation, while expenditure reached Tk 343.69 crore, or 39.40 percent of the allocation. The meeting, chaired by Secretary of the ministry Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, was attended by senior officials, project directors, engineers, and representatives from the three hill district councils.