A total of 26 islands or chars emerged in the Bay of Bengal, near the coasts of three districts –Noakhali, Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong— in the last 10 years, Land Minister Shamsur Rahman Sherif told Parliament on Monday.
With the emergence of the chars Bangladesh got total 125,370 acres of land, he said replying to a starred question from Awami League MP Pinu Khan (Reserved Seat-23.)
The Minister said Bangladesh got 75,874 acres of land from five islands or chars emerged in Noakhali district while 18,913 acres of lands from two chars in Chittagong and 30,583 acres of lands from 19 chars in Cox’s Bazar.
He said any settlement (jonobosoti) has yet to be developed in the islands or chars.
The Land Minister said no project has been undertaken for the rise of underwater islands or chars.
In reply to a starred question from ruling party MP Nurunnabi Chowdhury (Bhola-3), the Environment and Forests Minister Anwar Hossain Manju told the House that the government has taken a project for afforestation in the newly emerged chars in the southern coastal areas of the country.
The project involving Tk 105 crore is waiting for approval, he added.
