Govt urged to implement nutritious food habits in CHT in accordance with diversity

The government should take an initiative to implement nutritious food habits for the inhabitants of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, aligning with the diverse dietary practices prevalent in the region, civil society and community leaders have said.

To address the issue, they called for coordination between the relevant ministries and departments.

At a roundtable on the theme, "Advancing Nutrition Commitments for Chittagong Hill Tracts", at the CIRDAP Auditorium in Dhaka on Thursday, they also pointed out that in the remote areas of the hill tracts, there is a lack of adequate infrastructure regarding agri-food processing and marketing.

The roundtable was jointly organised by the Right to Food Bangladesh and Leadership to Ensure Adequate Nutrition Project and supported by the European Union.

Presided over by Right to Food Bangladesh General Secretary and Wave Foundation Executive Director Mohsin Ali, Chittagong Hill Tract Affairs Secretary Md Moshiur Rahman was the chief guest at the event. The Country Director of GAIN (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition) Rudaba Khandker delivered the welcome speech.

Right to Food Coordinator and Wave Foundation Deputy Director for Governance, Rights and Justice programme Kaniz Fatema was the moderator of the event.

In his speech, Chief of the Chakma Circle, Barrister Debashish Roy said, "The Chattogram Hill Tracts are home to a diverse range of ethnic groups, each with their own unique eating habits that cannot be easily changed overnight.

"Initiatives should be taken to identify and implement the nutritionally rich food habits of the hilly areas."

He said there are limitations in adopting multi-pronged programmes for poverty alleviation, including food and nutrition security, in key poverty-prone areas and communities in hilly areas.

"In hilly areas, there exists a lack of government funding for nutrition-sensitive programmes."

He also recommended a proactive role of local government in ensuring the well-being of pregnant women residing in the hills.

Rangamati Hill District Council Chairman Aung Sui Pru Chowdhury suggested establishing appropriate nutritional budgeting and accurate tracking systems to address the issue of insufficient workforce.

Presenting the main article, agriculture ministry's former additional secretary Md Ruhul Amin Talukder said children in the Chittagong Hill Tracts exhibit a relatively poorer nutritional status than other regions.

He said safe drinking water is available to 99% and 97% of the population in other districts, but Rangamati and Bandarban have been struggling with only 59% and 57% coverage, respectively.