Stop hotel construction on Mro land: Civil society members to CHT affairs minister, army chief

Fifty-nine eminent civil society members today sent letters to the Chattogram Hill Tracts affairs minister and the ministry secretary, chief of Bangladesh Army, and defence and environment ministries demanding the authorities stop the construction of a five-star hotel on Mro land.

They also wrote to Marriott International, an international hotel chain, to withdraw its all types of involvement in the project, said a press release.

The eminent personalities said as the army installations in the CHT should be reduced as per the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, carrying out such a massive construction work in the area is a clear violation of the terms of the deal. They claimed that obstacles have been placed forcibly in the way of earning Mro people's livelihoods, movement and communication in the interest of implementing the hotel project.

They also urged the minister and secretary of the CHT affairs ministry, Army chief, and defence and environment ministries to hold views-exchange meetings in this regard.

Among the signatories to the letters are: Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) Chief Executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Prof Serajul Islam Choudhury, Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, economist Hossain Zillur Rahman, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Distinguished Fellow Debapriya Bhattacharya, rights activist Sultana Kamal, Hameeda Hossain, Manusher Jonno Foundation Executive Director Shaheen Anam, Prof Anu Muhammad, and TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman.

Mro people alleged that a welfare organisation and Sikder Group are trying to grab about 1,000 acres of jhum land to implement the hotel project.