Staff Correspondent

Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Affairs Saching Pru, MP, has asserted that no compromise will be made for the welfare of the state, emphasizing his preference for ground-level action over remote administration.

"I am not in favor of sitting in Dhaka just signing files or issuing directives; I want to be physically present in the field, assess the situation firsthand, and take necessary measures," the minister said.

He made these remarks while addressing a coordination meeting on the overall law and order, development, and public welfare activities of Cox's Bazar district as the chief guest, joining virtually from the Ministry of CHT Affairs at the Secretariat on Monday.

Announcing plans to bring Cox's Bazar district under a well-planned master plan, the CHT Minister delivered a stern warning of a "zero tolerance" policy against crime and drugs to ensure national security. He made it clear that matters of national safety will be given the highest priority, necessitating rigorous measures to curb narcotics.

Addressing the Rohingya crisis and the overall law and order situation in Cox's Bazar, the minister stated that the government will work in close coordination with the Home Minister and local MPs from Cox's Bazar to review the ongoing situation and find sustainable solutions.

Presided over by Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md. Abdul Mannan, the meeting adopted strict resolutions regarding border crime, smuggling, intensified drives to recover illegal weapons, prevention of abduction and human trafficking, halting fertilizer smuggling alongside ensuring its equitable distribution, improving the tourist hub's traffic management, and stopping the construction of illegal structures or resorts on Saint Martin's Island.