& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Star moves to project Ctg

Staff Correspondent, ctg
A 16-day festival “Odommo Chattagram” initiated by The Daily Star starts from March 18 in Chittagong to showcase the rich history, cultural heritage and business prospects of the port city.
The editor of the English daily, Mahftiz Anam, made the announcement at a press conference at the Party Centre of Chittagong Club yesterday.
The festival, which ends on March 23, features exhibitions, cultural programmes, fashion and car show, book fair and music festival focusing on the cultural heritage, diversity and other aspects of the city.
It will engage students from different schools and colleges as well as universities. Seminars will be held on the port city's economic future with the participation of top officials of the country's leading companies.
The festival will focus on the city's problems such as infrastructural and communication difficulties and the need for improving its sea port.
Eminent persons of Chittagong, who have brightened the country's image internationally, will be accorded reception in the festival.
The programme will be arranged in association with Chittagong City Corporation (CCC), Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), Chittagong District Administration and different business establishments.
CCC Mayor M Manjur Alam urged all to come forward to turn Chittagong
into a world-class city and its sea port into a global one.
He said initiatives like the one by The Daily Star would help speed up the development of the port city.
The mayor regretted the fact that the business capital doesn't have any Five Star Hotels. He said many foreign businesspeople don't spend the night in Chittagong for that reason and go back to Dhaka in the afternoon.
The editor of The Daily Star said, "Chittagong has shown its unyielding spirit in adverse situations like natural calamities, economic disaster or political turmoil. Keeping that in mind, we are going to launch an initiative, Odommo Chattagram, for branding Chittagong."
“Most people in the country do not know about the rich heritage, cultural diversity, and natural beauty of
Chittagong, and we from The Daily Star want to showcase them to boost our confidence," he said.
“It cannot be expected that the programme would solve all the problems but I believe the festival would help find solutions to some big problems,” Mahfuz Anamsaid.
CDA Chairman Abdus Salam said Chittagong has always played a leading role in the movement against the British rulers and in other important events. It has also long been a hub of business.
After the liberation, Dhaka became the capital and Chittagong has been lagging behind it since then, he observed.
He said it would be difficult for the nation to achieve total development without the progress of the port city.
Mahbubul Alam, senior vice president of Chittagong
Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said Chittagong, the commercial capital of the country, has been facing many problems.
He hoped the festival would properly illustrate the problems and prospects of the port city.
Hossain Jillur Rahman, convener of Chittagong Research Initiative, who could not attend the press conference, sent a statement saying he would extend his support to the initiative.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Ehsan E Elahi hoped that the programme would illustrate Chittagong's beauty before the world.
Western Marine Managing Director Sakhawat Hossain, BSM Group Chairman Abul Bashar, and BSRM Steels Ltd Managing Director Aameir Alihussain also spoke there.