Moulvibazar to be developed as model district: Minister Ariful Haque

Labour and Employment and Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury has said Moulvibazar will be developed as a model district through coordinated efforts by government officials, public representatives, law-enforcement agencies, the media and local people.

The minister made the remarks on Sunday while addressing a meeting on law and order and development coordination at the Moulvibazar Deputy Commissioner (DC) office.

He stressed the need for government officials to work with mutual coordination and responsibility and to implement decisions quickly to meet public expectations and ensure visible progress in development activities.

Ariful Haque Chowdhury said proposals raised at the meeting would be reviewed and implemented on a priority basis. After identifying issues at the district level, similar consultations would be held at the upazila level with officials and members of the public.

Improving law and order, he said, is his top priority.

A stable law and order situation would help speed up development activities and create a better environment for investment, the minister said.

He called on the administration, law enforcement agencies, public representatives, the media and the public to work together to control drugs, terrorism and crime.

The minister also said he would inspect ongoing development projects on the ground to assess their progress.

He stressed the need for public participation in development activities. Regular consultations with local residents, he said, would help identify their priorities and needs.

Ariful Haque Chowdhury also called for effective steps to improve educational institutions, road connectivity and other basic infrastructure in the district.

The minister put particular emphasis on young people acquiring foreign-language and technical skills to take advantage of overseas employment opportunities.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Ariful said an in-principle decision had been taken to form a district-level task force to control drug abuse.

He urged everyone, including the media, to play a responsible role in anti-drug activities. He said information about drug-related activities should be reported to the appropriate authorities.

He also instructed the administration and law enforcement agencies to remain alert about the overall law and order situation, including the activities of banned political parties.

The minister said the government would review the activities of the coming month and assess progress afterwards.

He expressed hope that collective efforts would help transform Moulvibazar into a model district.

The meeting was chaired by Moulvibazar Deputy Commissioner Touhiduzzaman Pavel.

Members of Parliament Nasir Uddin Ahmed and Md Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury attended the meeting, along with Labour and Employment Ministry Joint Secretary Numeri Zaman and Deputy Secretary Mohammad Shamsul Islam.
Superintendent of Police Md Monirul Islam, District Council member Md Mizanur Rahman, Moulvibazar District BNP Convener Fazlul Karim Mayun and Member Secretary Abdur Rahim Ripon, as well as officials from various government departments, were also present.