Chittagong: Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Affairs Adviser Supradip Chakma today emphasized the importance of global partnerships to transform the people living in the CHT region into skilled human resources to improve their standard of living. The adviser made these remarks during a meeting with a four-member delegation from the International Labour Organization (ILO), led by its Country Director Max Tunon, at his office in the Bangladesh Secretariat.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the meeting covered a wide range of topics, including ensuring sustainable development, capacity building, and aligning the CHT region with global labor market standards. The ILO delegation expressed a strong interest in working within the CHT region through the ProGRESS project, funded by the Canadian government. Their focus is on women empowerment, enhancing technical and vocational skills, and providing support to foster new entrepreneurs for the economic development of the CHT people.
The delegation also highlighted the ILO’s intentions to boost the economic prosperity of local communities by leveraging the tourism sector’s potential in the hilly regions. Adviser Chakma extended a warm welcome to the ILO representatives and reiterated the government’s commitment to improving the living standards and capacity building of the people in the CHT.
The adviser assured that every development project is implemented in compliance with international standards and labor laws. He stressed that the core priority is not just infrastructural development but also building a skilled workforce, protecting biodiversity, and maintaining ecological balance. He emphasized that with the support of the ILO and other international organizations, a rapid socio-economic transformation of the CHT people is achievable.
The adviser expressed gratitude to the ILO delegation for their commitment to cooperating with the government’s development efforts. The meeting was attended by Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, Secretary of the Ministry of CHT Affairs, Md. Monirul Islam, Additional Secretary, and Atul Sarkar, Joint Secretary of the ministry. The ILO delegation included Pedro Jr. Bellen, Chief Technical Adviser of the ProGRESS project, Gunjan Dallakoti, Head of Programme at the ILO Country Office, and Alexius Chicham, National Programme Officer of the ILO.