'Black-gold' of Cox's Bazar

Our highly paid ministers and secretaries, different ministries, divisions, departments and public sector organisations under them always call for objective journalism and to detest yellow journalism and they also plead for accountability and transparency. They express their good intention but unfortunately in most of the cases their actions belie their words.

I am surprised and shocked that over the last three decades I have been writing and pleading for the commercial utilisation and export of the valuable minerals Rutile, Magnetite, Garnet, Elmenite and Zircon etc.-- the 'Black Gold' of Cox's Bazar either in the public sector or in the private sector, but in vain.

What the ministries, divisions, govt organisations are meant for? Why do they keep silent? Why is there no reaction/comment or clarification from them on press reports and letters from citizens?

We wonder what relevant ministers and secretaries and their different organisations and their scores of Information and Public Relations Officers are doing? Why are they paid from the public exchequer?

It is amazing and shocking that our Ministers, Secretaries, MPs and many government officials visit foreign countries on trifling matters. But they do not have the time to visit some of the deposit sites of valuable minerals "Black-Gold' of Cox's Bazar for arriving at a conclusion and decision on commercial utilisation and export of the valuable minerals.

I would humbly request Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia to hold a high level inquiry into the matter to utilise the valuable minerals 'Black-Gold' of Cox's Bazar either in the public or in the private sector for the welfare and financial benefit of our poor people, as millions of tons of minerals are being lost and washed away into the sea for decades due to negligence and inefficiency of our authorities concerned.