Char Development and Settlement Project

Char Development and Settlement Project (Bengali: চর উন্নয়ন ও বসতি স্থাপন প্রকল্প) is a Bangladesh government project that seeks to improve the livelihoods of people living in recently emerged chars (river islands).[1][2][3]

Char Development and Settlement Project
Formation1994
HeadquartersDhaka, Bangladesh
Region served
Bangladesh
Official language
Bengali
Websitecdsp.org.bd

History

edit

Bangladesh is crisscrossed by rivers; prominent among them are Padma River, Meghna River and Jamuna River. The rivers create islands and new land by depositing sediments. These new lands became lawless areas with little government presence and dominated by criminals. The government created the Land Reclamation Project in 1979, which continued to function till 1991, to develop these char lands and improve the livelihood of the people living there. Char Development and Settlement Project was created as a successor to that project in 1994.[4]

Char Development and Settlement Project Phrase one was implemented from 1994 to 1999. After the project was completed the Char Development and Settlement Project was developed into a government project involving multiple agencies. Char Development and Settlement Project was composed of Bangladesh Water Development Board, Department of Agricultural Extension, Department of Public Health Engineering, Forest Department, Ministry of Land, and Local Government Engineering Department. The Project received financial support from the Government of Bangladesh and the Government of Netherlands for the first three phrases of the project.[4] The project is developing sandy river islands into lush green farmlands.[5]

Char Development and Settlement Project Phrase four received financial support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development of the United Nations.[4][6] The fourth phrase of the project provided homes 155,000 people from 28,000 households living in chars.[7] In July 2019, the fifth phrase of the project and is projected to be completed in June 2022. Char Development and Settlement Project continues providing support to phrase one to four project areas.[4] Bangladesh Planning Commission questioned the reported costs of the project.[8] The fourth phrase, titled Char Development and Settlement Project Bridging Project, was approved on 24 July 2020 by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council.[9] The government allocated 263 billion taka for the project.[10]

References

edit
  1. ^ "চরে অবকাঠামো উন্নয়নে বিশাল কর্মযজ্ঞ". jagonews24.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  2. ^ "A Piece of Land, a Piece of Hope: Char Development and Settlement Project (CDSP) – Phase IV, Bangladesh - Bangladesh". ReliefWeb. 23 March 2018. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  3. ^ "The waters we share with our neighbours". The Daily Star. 2020-12-12. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  4. ^ a b c d "Char Development Settlement Project". cdsp.org.bd. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  5. ^ "From barren wasteland to green landscape". Dhaka Tribune. 2017-11-02. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  6. ^ "Bangladesh". IFAD. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  7. ^ "Char development and settlement project - Mott MacDonald". mottmac.com. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  8. ^ "চর উন্নয়ন প্রকল্পের খরচ নিয়ে প্রশ্ন খোদ পরিকল্পনা কমিশনেরই!". Sarabangla | Breaking News | Sports | Entertainment. 2019-09-16. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  9. ^ "IFAD financed project secures GOB approval". Dhaka Tribune. 2020-07-24. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  10. ^ "PM unhappy at delay in project implementation". Dhaka Tribune. 2020-07-21. Retrieved 2021-02-12.