The government of Bangladesh has signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for a new five-year development project aimed at promoting sustainable and inclusive development in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), according to a UNDP press release.

The signing coincides with the eve of the 19th anniversary of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, signed in 1997. “Bangladesh reaffirmed its commitment to fully implement the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord,” the UNDP said in the release.

The new project, titled Strengthening Inclusive Development in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, will build on the successes of the previous initiative, Promotion of Development and Confidence Building in the CHT, which has been implemented since 2003 across Rangamati, Khagrachhari, and Bandarban districts.

“This new phase addresses both new and remaining development challenges in CHT. Its main focus will be inclusiveness of all communities in the area, and it will have a stronger impact on ecosystems, social development, and development of institutions,” said Sudipto Mukerjee, UNDP Bangladesh Country Director.

As in the past, the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs (MoCHTA) will act as the executing agency, taking overall ownership and responsibility for the project. Implementation will follow the framework of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Facility (CHTDF), the first large-scale development intervention in the region since 2003.

“Through this project, we aim to achieve development and confidence-building goals from the Peace Accord which are yet to be fully realized,” said Md. Abdul Matin, Deputy Chief of MoCHTA.

The project’s total planned budget is $31.6 million, with approximately $14.6 million funded jointly by Denmark, the SAARC Development Fund, USAID, and UNDP. The government will contribute $5 million, while the remaining $12 million is expected to come from other development partners.

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