Planning Minister MA Mannan on Sunday said that a comprehensive action plan will be taken for the development of the southwestern coastal belt.
“The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina believes in balanced development, so like other areas of the country, she wants to ensure coastal area’s development.
For this reason, various projects are being taken up including construction of sustainable embankment and solution of the water problem,” he said.
Addressing a national seminar on “Coastal Development at Disaster Risk: Special Allocation Needs in the National Budget” at Jatiya National Press Club in Dhaka, he said Haor dams and coastal dams will protect crops and livelihood respectively.
Faith in Action and the civic organisation Sundarbans and Coastal Protection Movement organised the seminar with its Coordinator Nikhil Chandra Bhadra in the chair.
Former president of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul delivered the keynote speech, while Akhtaruzzaman Babu, spoke on the occasion.
Citizens' Solidarity General Secretary Sharifuzzaman, SCAN (Street Children Activators Network General Secretary Moniruzzaman Mukul, Faith in Action Executive Director Nripen Baidya, Mostafa Kamal Akand of Coast Foundation, Dhaka Journalists Union (DUJ) Sports and Culture Secretary Sakila Parveen and Basanti Rani Mandal, a victim of the coastal disaster from Khulna took part in the discussion.
The planning minister said the government has been working to develop a tourism system around the Sundarbans and coastal areas.
In the keynote address, Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul said that Satkhira, Khulna and Bagerhat are the most at risk among the coastal areas due to their geographical location.
Frequent natural disasters, poverty, long term salinity, endangered agriculture and so on. The people of that region are losing their dream of survival, he added.
Bulbul urged the government for taking a long-term master plan for the overall development of the region.
