Khagrachhari gets state minister after two decades
STAFF CORRESPONDENT, KHAGRACHHARI
Kujendra Lal Tripura, re-elected MP from Khagrachhari, has been nominated as State Minister, with the Cabinet confirming his appointment on Wednesday night.
The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for Thursday at Ganabhaban.
Tripura’s appointment marks an end to a twenty-two-year absence of state ministerial representation for Khagrachhari.
The last ministerial role from the district was held by Kalparanjan Chakma from 1998 to 2001, post-establishment of the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs.
Since then, ministers from neighboring Rangamati and Bandarban led to perceived marginalization in terms of development opportunities for Khagrachhari.
Now, as Tripura is set to take oath as a state minister, it becomes a significant event for Khagrachharites.
Tripura’s political tenure began in 1989 as part of the Khagrachhari Local Government Council, followed by his chairmanship of the Khagrachhari Hill District Council in 2011.
His service through the tenth to the twelfth parliament has earned him broad acceptance.
In late 2017, he was designated chairman of the Task Force for tribal refugee repatriation and rehabilitation from India, a position he still holds.
He has also been involved in parliamentary committees concerning the Ministry of Home Affairs and Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs.
Beyond his political contributions, Mr Tarun Kumar Bhattacharya, a renowned journalist, acknowledges Tripura’s philanthropy in education and social welfare.
Pradip Choudhury, President of the Khagrachhari Journalists Union, highlights Tripura’s commitment to development and communal harmony, despite facing challenges in securing his parliamentary seat in previous elections.
Local leaders and party workers have expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for responding to the long-standing demand for ministerial representation from Khagrachhari.
