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Festival sows new hope

Staff Correspondent
Eminent citizens of Chittagong have demanded that policymakers act fast to realise the prospects of turning
Chittagong into an economic and connectivityhub.
They want people from all walks of life, including intelligentsia, civil society, business and other actors of society, to form a common platform in this regard.
The call came at the concluding ceremony of Odommo Chattagram festival initiated by The Daily Star focusing on the history, culture, heritage and future economic prospects of Chittagong.
Citizens praised the initiative of The Daily Star, which has brought the potentials of port city into the spotlight and made the people of Chittagong and the rest of the country aware that the development of Chittagong will lead to faster advancement of Bangladesh.
“It's a wonderful job that The Daily Star has done. We have been enlightened much through the initiative," said M Sekandar Khan, former professor of the Department of Economics of University of Chittagong.
“A lot of issues relating to the prospects of Chittagong and the whole nation have become clear through the programme,” said Sekandar, also a citizen's right campaigner, prior to the closing session of Odommo Chattogram.
At the programme economists and businessmen said the $25 billion economy Chittagong facilitates
more than 80 percent of overseas trade of Bangladesh.
And the region, situated between China, Myanmar and Northeast India, has the prospect of becoming a centre of connectivity and trade in future.
“We have come to know the potential of Chittagong region. Now it is the responsibility of people across the spectrum to join hands and have the government act to tap the prospects," he said.
Sekandar said it was necessary to highlight the potentials of the port city and The Daily Star had done it.
The former professor of economics said a combined initiative by civil society, the private sector and other actors of society was needed to implement the recommendations that came out of the programme.
He wanted The Daily Star and other media to keep the focus on the recommendations and other issues so that the potentials that lie ahead did not remain neglected.
“The initial task of raising a voice about the potential of Chittagong has been done through the programme. We have been able to inform the whole nation about the prospects,” said Nasir Uddin
Chowdhury, first vice presi-dent of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
“I think the voice will reach the policymakers,” he said.
The leader of the gar-ment industry in Chittagong however said such programmes should be continued to create awareness and infrastructure to ensure quality education, better healthcare facilities and improve the business climate in order to turn the port city into a global city.
“We will have to raise these issues repeatedly. In achieving the goal, we will have to involve people, including the business community, to raise a strong voice,” he said.
“We also want political parties to come to a common platform on issues of national interest by shaking off their narrow political interests," said the BGMEA Leader.
Nasir said the economic conference that was organised as part of Odommo Chattagram festival had shed new light on prospects for the port city.
“Unless we have quality citizens and human resources, business will not flourish to the extent that we want it to,” he said.
Engineer Zia Hussain, former chief engineer of Chittagong Development Authority, said the festival and other programmes such as economic conference had provided a lot of food for thought.
He said institutional arrangements were needed to implement the recommendations which came out of the programmes. It also required people of all walks of life to be on board, he said.
Raja Devasish Roy said Chittagong had not only huge economic potentials; it was also rich in culture and heritage.
“We must take care of this diverse culture and heritage that has been with Chittagong for centuries,” he said. He hoped that red tape in the bureaucracy would not block industrialisation and expansion of businesses.
National Professor Dr Nurul Islam said a higher number of higher educational institutes and technical educational centres should be set up in Chittagong to ensure qualityeducation.