[1] Message from Ambassador Horiguchi "Visit to Chittagong Hill Tracts"

Last month, I had an opportunity to go to Bandarban and Rangamati in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in order to visit Japan financed FAO food security project sites and UNDP's activities. Discovering the beautiful nature and talking with the homely and heart-warming people, I learned a lot through this trip.

Let me introduce you with the history of CHT based on Banglapedia" before I begin talking about my experiences during the trip.

Arakan and Tripura were fighting for power in the present districts of CHT and Chittagong for a long time. After the Arakanese king kept the region under his reign from 1575 to 1666, the Mughals controlled the area until it was ceded to East India Company in 1760. It came under the control of the British in 1860, of Pakistan in 1947 and ultimately became a part of Bangladesh in 1971.

I understand that changes of rulers made little impact on the lives of local people. However, the first big change came when the Kaptai lake was artificially created in 1960 for the purpose of building a hydro power station. In the process of its construction, about 40% of farmlands sank under water and 1 million Chakmas became refugees and fled to India. Local people had strong complaints against and distrust of the Pakistani government because neither compensated for the loss of farmlands nor made any relief efforts.

Upon the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, the hill people demanded of the new government that they should be able to maintain autonomy with cultural and linguistic identity. As the government turned their plea down, the hill people formed an autonomous body and a militant organization in 1975 to fight the government in Dhaka. As they ambushed the Bangladeshi army and inflicted a severe damage in 1977, the Bangladeshi army stationed divisions all over CHT and started sweeping insurgency.

This military action was tied up with the government's settlement policy of Bengalis in the region. The percentage of Bengalis in CHT population was very low under the British rule, but it rose to 11.6% by 1974, and as the result of the government's settlement programme in the 1970s, it rose further to as high as 48.5% and is currently well
over 50%.

The native hill people rallied 13 tribes in CHT under the slogan of Junma ethnicism and began a movement to realize the protection of equality and cultural identity under the Constitution in the 1990s. After hectic negotiations, the CHT Peace Accord was signed between them and the then Awami League government in 1997.

The accord invests the hill people with a special status and autonomy and stipulates that land will be returned to owners once the ownership is confirmed. Though this accord gave the hill people hope for future, the BNP government, which came to power in 2001, has not been very responsive towards its enactment and the local people are now passing through a deep concern.

I would like to introduce my experiences in CHT in the next issue. (Ambassador's past messages are posted on the following website.)
http://www.bd.emb-japan.go.jp/en/eBulletin/index.html

[2] Upcoming Events on Japan-Bangladesh Relations

* Senior Vice Foreign Minister's Visit to Bangladesh (May 20-22)
Mr. Shuzen Tanigawa, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, will visit Bangladesh from May 20 to 22. The main purpose of his visit is to attend an inauguration ceremony of the Rupsha Bridge and to meet with senior government officials.


* Inauguration Ceremony of the Rupsha Bridge (May 21, Khulna)
The inauguration ceremony of the Khan Jahan Ali Bridge (the Rupsha Bridge) will be held in Khulna on May 21. Mr. Shuzen Tanigawa will attend the ceremony to celebrate the occasion. ts construction was funded by Japanese Loan Assistance of 8.3 billion yen (about 78 million US dollars), which amounted to 80% of the total cost.


* JBCCI PSD Support Project Briefing (May 24, Dhaka)
Private Sector Development Support Project (PSDSP) briefing for JBCCI members will be held on May 24. Mr. Kiyoshi Amada, Chief Representative at JBIC Dhaka Office will be a chief speaker.

The purpose of the session is to share information on the current key issues on PSDSP with JBCCI members. The Government of Bangladesh has agreed in principle with the proposal of PSDSP by WB, DFID, Japan, EU, and CIDA. PSDSP has three pillars of regulatory reform, zoning and capacity building and is currently at the state of project design.

JBCCI's website:
http://www.jetro.go.jp/bangladesh/eng/jbcci/index.html

[3] Recent Events on Japan-Bangladesh Relations

* Seminar on Japan's Role in Asia and the UN (April 12, Dhaka)
Japan Study Center (JSC) of Dhaka University held a seminar on Japan's role in Asia and the UN on May 12. Prof. Dr. M. Asaduzzaman, Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC); Prof. SMA Faiz, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dhaka; Prof. Dr. Ataur Rahman, Director of the Japan Study Centre; and Ambassador Horiguchi attended the seminar.

Ambassador Horiguchi, in his keynote speech at the seminar, focused on different issues that included Japan's role in promoting peace and prosperity in Asia and the Pacific and the country's contributions as a responsible power in the international community. He also explained the reason why Japan values partnership and co-operation with Bangladesh on global and regional issues.

The full text of his speech is posted on the following website.

At a certificate presentation ceremony after the seminar, 35 students received diploma certificates, having completed a program on Japanese language, culture, society, politics, economy, science and technology and international relations.

* UNICEF/Japan Press Briefing on Tetanus Campaign (May 11, Dhaka)
UNICEF and Japan held a press briefing about the Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination Campaign 2005 on May 11. Ambassador Horiguchi explained Japan's Official Development Assistance to Bangladesh in the area of health; especially, maternal and child health and the infectious disease control. We hope that the campaign raise the awareness of the maternal and neonatal tetanus in Bangladesh and bring a great success in eliminating the disease.

The full text of Ambassador's speech will be posted on the following website.
http://www.bd.emb-japan.go.jp/en/embassy/speeches/sphmhoriguchi.html

* Opening of Dhaka Shishu Hospital Thalassemia Center (May 8, Dhaka)
Dhaka Shishu Hospital Thalassemia Center inauguration ceremony was held on May 8th, a day which is observed as "International Thalassemia Day" all over the world. The Government of Japan provided a Grant Aid
for Grass-roots Groups to construct the center and hopes that the center makes a significant contribution to treatment of thalassemic patients in Bangladesh.

The full text of the speech which Ambassador Horiguchi made on this occasion is posted on the following website.
http://www.bd.emb-japan.go.jp/en/embassy/speeches/sp_thalassemia050508.html

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