A case for development projects in Rangpur

History testifies that Rangpur has always been an exception compared to other regions of Bangladesh. Political movements, education, poverty, and humility in mentality have given it an especial place in the nation’s history. It is said that the people of Rangpur are very simple and sincere. Some even say lazy. People of Rangpur have a reputation for being poor as well. The famine and river erosions never bothered them. Rather, they have accepted it in a stoic manner and continued with their way of life. They have shown exemplary resilience in the face of all adversities. 

The English used to collect rent from the Rangpur peasants by force. In protest of this, the 'Peasant Rebellion of Rangpur' movement took place, and the British's oppression on the peasants was stopped. This was followed by several more peasant revolts and anti-British resistance activities in Rangpur, considered important in history. The Tebhaga movement was also well organized in Rangpur. It was not easy to conduct these movements against the English. But the farmers of Rangpur have time and again proved their mettle. 

Syed Shamsul Haque's 'Life of Noorulddin' written on the peasant revolt in Rangpur is a milestone in the history of Bangladeshi stage arena. This is one play that still moves the people's hearts even today. The region is still neglected. Why? Nobody talks about it. Rangpur seems to have been left in the dark in the tide of development that has started all over the country, especially in the southern region. Protest or oppression cannot lead to development. Development is needed in those areas for logical reasons and ensuring fairness. 

Five of the 10 poorest districts in the countries are situated in the Rangpur division. Kurigram is the poorest district in the country. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the average poverty rate in Kurigram is 70.8 per cent. Although the average poverty rate in the country is 20 per cent, few steps have been taken to eradicate poverty in the region. Not only that, when the government adopts its annual development programme, less than one percent of its allocation is for the two crore people of the Rangpur division. Quite clearly, Rangpur is a neglected area in the Bangladeshi development landscape.

What is not there in Rangpur? This region, which is dependent on agriculture, is said to be self-sufficient in food. Its soil, water, weather, human resources are all of the best quality. Although 20 million people live here, food crops produced in the division can feed 40 million people. Due to the fertility of the land, bumper yields of paddy, jute, tobacco, potatoes, vegetables, fruits and everything else is often reported in the headlines of the news. Foodgrains, vegetables, fruits, etc., get exported after it meets the needs of the people in Rangpur. So any big agro-based project has a great potential for success here. 

There is a suitable environment for keeping cows here. Many farms keep improved breeds of cows. Rangpur alone produces 570 metric tonness of milk daily. Although there is a shortage of milk in other districts of the country, there is no shortage of milk here. The amount of milk produced here can be used to make powdered milk factories. If necessary, it will be possible to supply milk from other districts of the division. There is a potential of producing a wide array of dairy products as well.

There is no gas in Rangpur. It is indeed difficult to establish factories without gas connections. However, other development activities can create a lot of jobs. Communication problems in the region have been a problem for a long time. Before the construction of the Jamuna Bridge, it used to take 18-20 hours or more to reach Dhaka by ferry crossing at Aricha Ghat. Although it took 5-6 hours for a few years after the bridge was built, the time increased after 10 years had elapsed. Road conditions are bad in some places. Lately, four lane roads have been constructed on the highway. For this, it takes 12-14 hours to go from Dhaka to Rangpur. When the road work is completed, it is expected that it will take five hours to reach Dhaka from Rangpur. The people of Rangpur think that trade and commerce will expand in Rangpur if this happens.

The people's representatives of the area play an essential role in implementing the development activities. They are responsible for highlighting the problems and possibilities of the area in the parliament, to make the government understand. This is the rule. But according to some experts, the role of the representatives of the Rangpur region leaves much to be desired. 

Something could be done here using advanced technology to prevent river erosion and flooding. There are lots of char areas here. The people there struggle a lot and live an inhuman life. Any megaproject centred on chars could change the lives of those helpless people. The people of this area would get a lot of benefits if the authorities undertook a big project by establishing rail and road communication over Brahmaputra. It could have been modernized by drastically improving the miserable condition of the railway system in Rangpur. Rangpur and Dinajpur are incomparable in their archaeological heritage and exceptional natural beauty. Many times Kanchenjunga can be seen from different points of Dinajpur. The region is ideal for tourism development. It is possible to set up multiple educational institutions in northern parts of the country without putting so much pressure on education and employment generation in Dhaka. An agriculture university is going to be established soon in Kurigram. In the same way, establishing a high-quality hospital is also the demand of the time. By building all these institutions, a different feature and beauty will illuminate the area.

The main reason for the poverty in the region is the erosion of the Teesta. Cottage industries can be set up to exploit these poor people. EPZ may be the ideal project here. Cheap goods can be made and exported abroad. For example, there is a huge demand for shataranji– which has recently been declared as a Geographical Indication Product of Bangladesh– and jute products in the country and abroad. Benarasi sari is being made in Rangpur for several years now. This has a lot of potential. Rangpur will soon replace the popular area ​​Benarasi Palli in Mirpur. It is not difficult to build EPZ with some other industries like this.

Many people have become destitute due to the continuous erosion of the river Teesta. Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi recently said that the government had undertaken a mega project for industrialisation on both sides of the Teesta river. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has already passed the project worth Tk 85 billion. If it is implemented, then the poor people of Rangpur will benefit much, and there will be a lot of employment. The project will help a lot in reducing poverty here.

The writer is a columnist. She can be contacted at [email protected]